Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Americans on Sunday against resistance to a particular COVID-19 vaccine – saying all three on the market are “safe and effective”.
“We have to get rid of that chain of thoughts. The only way you really know the difference between vaccines is by comparing them head to head. ”Fauci told ABC presenter George Stephanopoulos on “This Week.”
“We have three extremely effective, safe and effective vaccines. This is the bottom line. ”
The White House chief medical adviser said the newest option – the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – has features that “we really care about are important,” despite being less effective than Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. .
“It has an efficiency higher than 85% [preventing] severe illness and critical illness and there were no deaths or hospitalizations in any of the countries that were tested, ”Fauci said.
Comparing the J&J vaccine with the other two licensed ones is complicated because their studies had important differences, Fauci said.
J & J’s study showed an efficacy of about 66 percent against moderate to severe COVID-19, while those for Pfizer and Moderna focused on mild to moderate disease and demonstrated an efficacy of about 95 percent. in the prevention of the disease.
The J&J process was also carried out later in regions where new highly contagious variants were circulating.
“I think we need to move away from this comparison and analysis of numbers until you compare them head to head. Be very grateful that we have three really effective vaccines “, said Fauci.
In a separate interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Fauci said he would not hesitate to get the J&J vaccine if he had the option.
“If you go somewhere and you have J&J and this is the one that is available now, I would take it. I personally would do the same, “he told Chuck Todd’s host on Sunday.
“I think people need to be vaccinated as quickly and as quickly as possible. And if I went to a place where they had J&J, I wouldn’t have any hesitation to take it. “