Dr. Anthony Fauci urged Democrat Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) to receive the COVID-19 vaccine right away, and also maintained that President Donald Trump should get it even though he already recovered from the disease.
“For security reasons I really feel strongly that we should get them vaccinated as soon as we possibly can. We want him fully protected as he enters into the presidency in January. So, that would be my strong recommendation,” Fauci said Tuesday morning on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Fauci, who has already been tapped to be on Biden’s coronavirus task force like he was for Trump’s, went on to advise Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to get vaccinated as well, despite the fact that the president overcame the virus in early October.
“If he were asking me, I would recommend that he do that, as well as Vice President Pence. You still want to protect people who are very important to our country right now,” Fauci said.
Regarding Trump’s post-infection immunity, Fauci added, “We’re not sure how long that protection lasts. So, to be doubly sure, I would recommend that he get vaccinated, as well as the vice president.”
“People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary. I have asked that this adjustment be made. I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time. Thank you,” Trump tweeted on Sunday evening.
Fauci also sought to allay concerns that some people might have about how quickly the vaccines were developed.
“Speed was not all at the sacrifice of safety,” asserted Fauci. “The speed was a reflection of the extraordinary advances in the science of vaccine platform technology—to be able to do things technically in months that some time, five, 10 years ago, may have taken several years. In addition, the extraordinary investment—when I say investment, I’m talking hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars—in getting the vaccine ready to be distributed as soon as it was proven to be safe and effective.”
“People, understandably, are skeptical about the speed, but we have to keep emphasizing speed means the science was extraordinary that got us here,” he added.
WATCH:
Dr. Anthony Fauci on what to know about the COVID-19 vaccine: “People, understandably, are skeptical about the speed, but we have to keep emphasizing speed means the science was extraordinary that got us here.”
@GStephanopouloshttps://t.co/hF8XFKI0p0 pic.twitter.com/Vqzh854KRZ— Good Morning America (@GMA) December 15, 2020
The first COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S., manufactured by Pfizer, debuted Monday. On Tuesday, the FDA said that Moderna’s vaccine is also effective. As The Daily Wire reported:
The FDA on Tuesday announced that Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine to be highly effective and fully safe. Moderna has also asked for emergency use authorization, and the FDA’s report puts that request on track for approval.
The FDA’s 54-page report found the Moderna vaccine about 94% effective for most people, but the efficacy rate in people older than 65 was slightly lower at 86.4%. The analysis comes just two days before a meeting of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee expected to recommend emergency approval.
The agency said Moderna’s shot was equal to Pfizer’s across racial, ethnic and gender groups, and that it also performed well in people with medical issues.
Related: So You’re Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine? Here’s What To Expect.