Fauci: I Can’t Guarantee People Won’t Need Covid Boosters Indefinitely

FAUCI Well Anderson based ░░░░░░░░ the data from the ░░░░░░░░ and implementation of their ░░░░░░░░ program they are seeing ░░░░░░░░ significant diminution in the ░░░░░░░░ of protection they see ░░░░░░░░ more among the elderly ░░░░░░░░ they do among younger ░░░░░░░░ they made a decision ░░░░░░░░ do that We in ░░░░░░░░ country are collecting data ░░░░░░░░ multiple cohorts both domestic ░░░░░░░░ international The domestic cohorts ░░░░░░░░ being followed literally on ░░░░░░░░ daily and weekly basis ░░░░░░░░ the CDC We are ░░░░░░░░ that sooner or later ░░░░░░░░ re going to have ░░░░░░░░ give boosters So what ░░░░░░░░ re doing right now ░░░░░░░░ decision is we don ░░░░░░░░ need to do it ░░░░░░░░ now It s not ░░░░░░░░ But we re preparing ░░░░░░░░ if it will be ░░░░░░░░ So we re going ░░░░░░░░ be ready to do ░░░░░░░░ whenever the data shows ░░░░░░░░ the protection has gone ░░░░░░░░ a certain level because ░░░░░░░░ a combination of the ░░░░░░░░ of protection and the ░░░░░░░░ effect you re seeing ░░░░░░░░ the Delta variant That ░░░░░░░░ very distinctly different from ░░░░░░░░ issue which was addressed ░░░░░░░░ We have immune compromised ░░░░░░░░ who never really ever ░░░░░░░░ as a group an ░░░░░░░░ response to protect them ░░░░░░░░ it isn t as ░░░░░░░░ they have a durability ░░░░░░░░ It s as if ░░░░░░░░ ve never really had ░░░░░░░░ adequate response And that ░░░░░░░░ the reason why the ░░░░░░░░ is made to give ░░░░░░░░ to them and we ░░░░░░░░ be hearing more details ░░░░░░░░ it as you just ░░░░░░░░ when the Advisory Committee ░░░░░░░░ Immunization Practices talks about ░░░░░░░░ tomorrow at their meeting ░░░░░░░░ So how would it ░░░░░░░░ would it work if ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ third booster shot for ░░░░░░░░ at some point Will ░░░░░░░░ be will that be ░░░░░░░░ through doctors offices and ░░░░░░░░ As the vaccine is ░░░░░░░░ of being given now ░░░░░░░░ they be reopening kind ░░░░░░░░ larger locations FAUCI Well ░░░░░░░░ know we don t ░░░░░░░░ to get ahead of ░░░░░░░░ But if you say ░░░░░░░░ s assume that this ░░░░░░░░ that we re making ░░░░░░░░ decision to do this ░░░░░░░░ would have to be ░░░░░░░░ an orderly fashion So ░░░░░░░░ would not want to ░░░░░░░░ Okay now everybody is ░░░░░░░░ to go getting a ░░░░░░░░ boost It ll be ░░░░░░░░ an orderly fashion in ░░░░░░░░ timely way And I ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ through the same outlets ░░░░░░░░ that we did before ░░░░░░░░ through pharmacies et cetera ░░░░░░░░ sometimes through doctors offices ░░░░░░░░ other ways that we ░░░░░░░░ successfully have done before ░░░░░░░░ Do you think there ░░░░░░░░ harm in getting a ░░░░░░░░ dose right now I ░░░░░░░░ can people do that ░░░░░░░░ far as some people ░░░░░░░░ the one dose Johnson ░░░░░░░░ vaccine why not let ░░░░░░░░ who want a booster ░░░░░░░░ in the U S ░░░░░░░░ one FAUCI Well Anderson ░░░░░░░░ mean people can do ░░░░░░░░ they want to do ░░░░░░░░ some people are already ░░░░░░░░ that We know that ░░░░░░░░ you want to do ░░░░░░░░ that s based on ░░░░░░░░ scientific evidence something that ░░░░░░░░ you scientific and public ░░░░░░░░ direction something that you ░░░░░░░░ follow the success of ░░░░░░░░ and find out what ░░░░░░░░ need to do down ░░░░░░░░ pike as time goes ░░░░░░░░ I mean obviously anyone ░░░░░░░░ decide they just want ░░░░░░░░ do it But I ░░░░░░░░ when you look at ░░░░░░░░ science of it and ░░░░░░░░ immunology you want to ░░░░░░░░ it in a way ░░░░░░░░ s really based on ░░░░░░░░ science that you re ░░░░░░░░ through these cohorts COOPER ░░░░░░░░ s obviously a lot ░░░░░░░░ don t know I ░░░░░░░░ we know a lot ░░░░░░░░ than we did at ░░░░░░░░ start but there s ░░░░░░░░ you know we need ░░░░░░░░ be humble in the ░░░░░░░░ of this virus as ░░░░░░░░ ve said repeatedly If ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ booster does that mean ░░░░░░░░ that people will be ░░░░░░░░ for do we know ░░░░░░░░ what length of time ░░░░░░░░ they would need to ░░░░░░░░ know think about getting ░░░░░░░░ again Because I assume ░░░░░░░░ this is around for ░░░░░░░░ and years this is ░░░░░░░░ to be the kind ░░░░░░░░ thing we have to ░░░░░░░░ get vaccinated for just ░░░░░░░░ getting a flu shot ░░░░░░░░ Well there are a ░░░░░░░░ of factors that are ░░░░░░░░ to go into that ░░░░░░░░ of decision Anderson The ░░░░░░░░ thing is that we ░░░░░░░░ in studies that we ░░░░░░░░ done we ve already ░░░░░░░░ studies where we ve ░░░░░░░░ boosters to be given ░░░░░░░░ people who have been ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated And the good ░░░░░░░░ about that is that ░░░░░░░░ acceleration of the response ░░░░░░░░ way up I mean ░░░░░░░░ better than what you ░░░░░░░░ with the two doses ░░░░░░░░ In other words it ░░░░░░░░ up and up and ░░░░░░░░ if you give a ░░░░░░░░ it goes way up ░░░░░░░░ may mean I don ░░░░░░░░ know for certain but ░░░░░░░░ could mean that you ░░░░░░░░ a response that s ░░░░░░░░ enough and durable enough ░░░░░░░░ you may not have ░░░░░░░░ worry about what people ░░░░░░░░ concerned about needing a ░░░░░░░░ called boost every year ░░░░░░░░ so I would hope ░░░░░░░░ the degree of elevation ░░░░░░░░ response that we will ░░░░░░░░ with the boost might ░░░░░░░░ give us a lot ░░░░░░░░ wiggle room of not ░░░░░░░░ needing a boost often ░░░░░░░░ I have to be ░░░░░░░░ you say we are ░░░░░░░░ and we are modest ░░░░░░░░ it we don t ░░░░░░░░ the answer to that ░░░░░░░░ the only way you ░░░░░░░░ that is you continue ░░░░░░░░ do the clinical studies ░░░░░░░░ the observational studies As ░░░░░░░░ said this is a ░░░░░░░░ that has evolved We ░░░░░░░░ from a virus the ░░░░░░░░ variant that when you ░░░░░░░░ infected the level of ░░░░░░░░ in your nasopharynx was ░░░░░░░░ lower than what we ░░░░░░░░ seeing with the Delta ░░░░░░░░ where it s like ░░░░░░░░ thousand times more There ░░░░░░░░ a lot about not ░░░░░░░░ the protection against serious ░░░░░░░░ leading to hospitalization but ░░░░░░░░ is the issue of ░░░░░░░░ prevention of transmissibility among ░░░░░░░░ who might have a ░░░░░░░░ infection as unusual as ░░░░░░░░ is it has occurred ░░░░░░░░ will occur because vaccines ░░░░░░░░ not 100 percent protective ░░░░░░░░ thing that we re ░░░░░░░░ with Delta is that ░░░░░░░░ you do get a ░░░░░░░░ infection of someone who ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated and gets infected ░░░░░░░░ if they have minimal ░░░░░░░░ no symptoms the level ░░░░░░░░ virus in their nasopharynx ░░░░░░░░ still quite high enough ░░░░░░░░ do what we ve ░░░░░░░░ and seen that they ░░░░░░░░ transmit it So there ░░░░░░░░ a couple of things ░░░░░░░░ want to separate protection ░░░░░░░░ severe disease which the ░░░░░░░░ do really really well ░░░░░░░░ are holding up very ░░░░░░░░ against Delta versus protection ░░░░░░░░ getting infected to the ░░░░░░░░ where you may then ░░░░░░░░ it And that s ░░░░░░░░ thing that sometimes confuses ░░░░░░░░ understandably so COOPER But ░░░░░░░░ I read an article ░░░░░░░░ The Atlantic today that ░░░░░░░░ of clarified it for ░░░░░░░░ and I wish I ░░░░░░░░ the author s name ░░░░░░░░ the top of my ░░░░░░░░ but one of the ░░░░░░░░ he was saying which ░░░░░░░░ just sort of clarified ░░░░░░░░ for me in my ░░░░░░░░ mind because I started ░░░░░░░░ a mask again indoors ░░░░░░░░ I m very concerned ░░░░░░░░ my child is that ░░░░░░░░ you have been vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated you re less ░░░░░░░░ to get obviously the ░░░░░░░░ variant than you would ░░░░░░░░ be if you were ░░░░░░░░ far less likely You ░░░░░░░░ also less likely to ░░░░░░░░ whatever you have to ░░░░░░░░ else than if you ░░░░░░░░ unvaccinated The unvaccinated are ░░░░░░░░ likely to transmit correct ░░░░░░░░ Correct Totally correct COOPER ░░░░░░░░ the other thing this ░░░░░░░░ said which again re ░░░░░░░░ this in my mind ░░░░░░░░ that he made the ░░░░░░░░ of you may the ░░░░░░░░ isn t about you ░░░░░░░░ guaranteeing you don t ░░░░░░░░ the virus but it ░░░░░░░░ t it means that ░░░░░░░░ virus itself doesn t ░░░░░░░░ to become Covid 19 ░░░░░░░░ you That essentially you ░░░░░░░░ get infected but it ░░░░░░░░ not Covid 19 in ░░░░░░░░ sense of a life ░░░░░░░░ potentially deadly disease FAUCI ░░░░░░░░ COOPER So it is ░░░░░░░░ it is separating the ░░░░░░░░ from the illness Covid ░░░░░░░░ is that right FAUCI ░░░░░░░░ that s what you ░░░░░░░░ totally correct Anderson and ░░░░░░░░ s what I just ░░░░░░░░ You ve got to ░░░░░░░░ sure that people understand ░░░░░░░░ difference of a virus ░░░░░░░░ real a vaccine is ░░░░░░░░ doing what you want ░░░░░░░░ to do if it ░░░░░░░░ you from getting ill ░░░░░░░░ ill to go to ░░░░░░░░ hospital If you just ░░░░░░░░ me 30 seconds I ░░░░░░░░ explain with you and ░░░░░░░░ child You re vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ re fully vaccinated The ░░░░░░░░ of you getting infected ░░░░░░░░ all is very low ░░░░░░░░ let s say you ░░░░░░░░ get infected and you ░░░░░░░░ t get any symptoms ░░░░░░░░ you do have enough ░░░░░░░░ in your nasopharynx that ░░░░░░░░ may then inadvertently and ░░░░░░░░ infect someone else it ░░░░░░░░ be your child So ░░░░░░░░ do you prevent that ░░░░░░░░ prevent it that when ░░░░░░░░ go out to a ░░░░░░░░ that s a public ░░░░░░░░ place you wear a ░░░░░░░░ And people say Well ░░░░░░░░ a minute why do ░░░░░░░░ have to wear a ░░░░░░░░ if I m vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ you want to go ░░░░░░░░ extra mile to prevent ░░░░░░░░ from getting a subclinical ░░░░░░░░ that you might then ░░░░░░░░ pass to someone else ░░░░░░░░ don t have to ░░░░░░░░ about getting seriously ill ░░░░░░░░ vaccine is going to ░░░░░░░░ you against that but ░░░░░░░░ may not protect you ░░░░░░░░ getting infected to the ░░░░░░░░ where you may transmit ░░░░░░░░ to someone else COOPER ░░░░░░░░ just finally because I ░░░░░░░░ we re out of ░░░░░░░░ long Covid What do ░░░░░░░░ know about the possibility ░░░░░░░░ somebody who has been ░░░░░░░░ gets infected developing long ░░░░░░░░ symptoms And also children ░░░░░░░░ can t be vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ the age of 12 ░░░░░░░░ we know about what ░░░░░░░░ of do they get ░░░░░░░░ Covid from Delta or ░░░░░░░░ they FAUCI All right ░░░░░░░░ questions yeah yeah Two ░░░░░░░░ separate answers Certainly if ░░░░░░░░ get vaccinated and you ░░░░░░░░ a breakthrough infection you ░░░░░░░░ get long Covid We ░░░░░░░░ t have enough data ░░░░░░░░ that to say if ░░░░░░░░ s the same kind ░░░░░░░░ risk of getting long ░░░░░░░░ of others but it ░░░░░░░░ likely it would be ░░░░░░░░ because you got a ░░░░░░░░ deal of protection from ░░░░░░░░ vaccine Children can get ░░░░░░░░ Covid but the incidence ░░░░░░░░ it is significantly lower ░░░░░░░░ in an adult It ░░░░░░░░ just a few percent ░░░░░░░░ children whereas with the ░░░░░░░░ it s anywhere from ░░░░░░░░ to up to 30 ░░░░░░░░ COOPER Yeah Dr Anthony ░░░░░░░░ I appreciate it Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much and thanks ░░░░░░░░ what you re doing ░░░░░░░░ Good to be with ░░░░░░░░ Thank you, Anderson.”