Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday rejected suggestions that the United States was delaying the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine so that more Americans could receive the first blow – saying the nation’s supply problem would be solved long before researchers could study the proposal. .
“If you really want to study it – the amount of time it will take, the amount of people you should study – by then, we will already be in the arena of having enough vaccines to go around, “Fauci told Chuck Todd’s host on NBC’s” Meet the Press. “
“It would be nice to know, if you give a single dose, how long it lasts and what the level of effect is, but what we have now and what we need to go with, are the scientific data we have accumulated.”
The comments of the top doctor for infectious diseases came in response to expert Michael Osterholm, who suggested last week that delaying two hits for more first doses could prevent an anticipated increase in the “Category 5” hurricane in cases.
The national vaccine supply issue is likely to be resolved before the Osterholm proposal can be effectively studied, Fauci said.
“I’d love to study, but I don’t think we could do that in a while,” he told Todd.
Pressed on what the host called the “survival of the fittest” vaccine distribution process, Fauci said supply would increase “substantially” in the coming weeks and months.
“Things will improve as we get from February to March to April, as the number of vaccine doses that will be available will increase substantially,” he said.
But Fauci declined to say clearly whether public schools should resume personal training immediately – despite recent comments by the CDC director that they can safely reopen.
Instead, he called for the adoption of President Biden’s “American Rescue Act,” which includes funding for the reopening of the school.
“We want to open K-8 schools by the next 100 days,” Fauci said, noting that the transmission of COVID-19 among elementary and middle schools was probably lower than among high school students.
“What they need is that they will need help. That’s why we want the American Rescue Act to pass, so that schools have the capacity – with masks, with the capacity to get better ventilation, all the things you want to do. ”