Fauci Urges Americans Not to Get COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots Until They’re Eligible

Dr. Anthony Fauci pushes back on statements by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 20, 2021. J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

Biden administration chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci is defending President Joe Biden’s decision to announce that vaccine booster shots would be available for most Americans by Sept. 20 despite no indication that key regulators would approve them in time.

During several morning news shows on Sept. 19, Fauci urged fully vaccinated Americans not to get a booster shot, or a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, until they’re eligible. This comes after the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) vaccine advisory panel voted to recommend against providing Pfizer boosters to the general public but recommended the shots for Americans aged 65 and older, dealing a blow to the White House’s booster plan.

Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, told “Meet the Press” that Biden’s plan was always contingent on authorization by the FDA.

“I think people are not understanding the difference of planning for something and actually what element of that, what proportion of it, you’re actually going to roll out,” he said. “And that’s exactly what happened.”

Americans who are vaccinated and are waiting for a third shot need to remain patient, Fauci said. Meanwhile, data from the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines are still needed.

“We’re working on that right now to get the data to the FDA, so they can examine it and make a determination about the boosters for those people,” he said. “They’re not being left behind, by any means.”

It isn’t clear when a final FDA decision could come on booster doses for those aged 65 and up, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has scheduled a meeting next week to distribute boosters around the United States.

Echoing his call for patience during a CNN interview, Fauci on Sept. 19 responded to a question about Americans getting booster shots without being authorized. He said they should “abide by the recommendation” that was handed down by the FDA advisory panel.

“We recommend that people wait until you fall into the category when it’s recommended,” he said, adding that there is “always a theoretical risk” because relevant studies haven’t been performed yet on Pfizer vaccines.

On Sept. 17, the advisory panel voted 16–3 against recommending the Pfizer booster for people under the age of 65. Some members of the board said they are concerned about potential links between the booster and myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation.

Dr. James Hildreth, a voting member on the FDA expert panel, said he has “a serious concern of myocarditis in young people,” while others expressed concern about the data Pfizer presented to the agency. Pfizer had argued that over several months, its vaccine efficacy had dropped and thereby warranted the need for additional doses.

The Epoch Times has contacted the FDA for comment.