Fauci says he will take responsibility if a coronavirus vaccine rolled out in the US is faulty
MSNBC
- In an interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes, Fauci replied in the affirmative when asked if he would "take the heat" for any problems with a potential vaccine.
- This week CDC Director Robert Redfield and President Donald Trump clashed over the timing of a vaccine.
- Redfield projected that a vaccine wouldn't be widely available until the new year, but Trump argued it could come sooner.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading US infectious disease expert, pledged to "take the heat" for any potential problems with a vaccine for COVID-19 in an interview with MSNBC Thursday.
"Do you assure all of us that if the corners have been cut, if there is something sideways or wrong with the process, that you will tell us and take the heat for that?" MSNBC's Chris Hayes asked Fauci.
He responded: "The answer, Chris, is yes."
—All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) September 18, 2020
Fauci's comments come amid concern that President Donald Trump is politicizing public health departments and may seek to rush through a vaccine in time for November's presidential election.
In an interview published yesterday with Business Insider's Hilary Brueck, Fauci said he is confident that there will be a "safe and effective vaccine" available by the end of 2020.
He told Brueck: "I said November-December, others say October. I think it's unlikely in October, but maybe, you never know. But let's say a safe bet will be the end of this calendar year."
The timeline is more cautious than the pre-election forecasts given by Trump. Fauci also noted that it will take until some time in 2021 for most people to actually receive a vaccine even if some doses are ready earlier.
But, in common with his MSNBC interview, Fauci has emphasized that he is sure any vaccine rolled out would be safe.
Not everyone is so confident. A former top official on the White House coronavirus task force, Olivia Troye, this week told The Washington Post that she would not trust a vaccine rolled out before the election.
"I would not tell anyone I care about to take a vaccine that launches prior to the election," she said. "I would listen to the experts and the unity in pharma. And I would wait to make sure that this vaccine is safe and not a prop tied to an election."
Trump has projected that a vaccine would be widely available ahead of November 3, including in a Fox News interview this week.
He has signalled a fast vaccine despite statements to the contrary from his own administration's top public health officials.
In testimony to Congress this week CDC Director Robert Redfield said a vaccine would not be able to usher in a return to "regular life" in the US before late 2021.
"If you're asking me when is it going to be generally available to the American public, so we can begin to take advantage of vaccine to get back to our regular life, I think we're probably looking at third, late second quarter, third quarter 2021," Redfield told the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday.
Trump rejected Redfield's claims at a White House press briefing Thursday, claiming that Redfield was "confused" and the vaccine would be made widely available sooner.
In an interview with WTOP Thursday Fauci refused to take a side in the dispute, telling the network "in many respects, they were both right."
However, his subsequent comments to the network were more closely aligned with Redfield's projection.
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