Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday rejected suggestions that the US will delay the second COVID-19 vaccine doses so that more Americans can get their first injection – saying the nation’s supply problem will be solved long before researchers can study the proposal.
“If you really want to study it – the amount of time it will take, the number of people you should put into the study – by then we’ll already be in the arena with enough vaccines to go around,” Fauci told host Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“It would be nice to know, if you only give one dose, how long the shelf life lasts and what the effect is, but what we have now, and what we need to deal with, is the scientific data we’ve collected, “
The top infectious disease physician’s comments came in response to expert Michael Osterholm, who suggested last week that delaying second shots to administer more first doses could, in cases, lead to an anticipated “Category 5” hurricane wave. appearance.
The problem of the nation’s supply of vaccines will likely be resolved before Osterholm’s proposal could be effectively studied, Fauci said.
“I’d be great to have the study, but I don’t think we can do it in a while,” he told Todd.
Under pressure from what the host called a “survival-of-the-fittest” vaccine distribution process, Fauci said supply will “significantly” increase in the coming weeks and months.
“It will get better from February to March to April as the number of available vaccine doses will increase significantly,” he said.
But Fauci clearly declined to answer whether public schools should immediately resume personal instruction – despite the CDC director’s recent remarks that they can reopen safely.
Instead, he pushed for President Biden’s “American Rescue Act” to be passed, which includes funding for the reopening of schools.
“We want to get schools K-to-8 open within the next 100 days,” Fauci said, noting that transmission of COVID-19 among elementary and high school students was probably lower than among high school students.
‘What they need is they need help. That’s why we want the American Rescue Act to get through so that schools have the option – with masks, with the ability to get better ventilation, all the things you want to do. “