No sooner that 78-year-old Joe Biden names 80-year-old National Institutes of Health [NIH] chief of Allergy and Infectious Disease Dr. Anthony Fauci to his Covid-19 task force, he offends the British equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration [FDA]. Fauci said publicly that the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency [MHRA] rushed the approval of vaccines, unlike the FDA. Dr. Judly Reines, CEO of MHRA, said she would speak to the public about vaccine safety, after regulators said they would speed up the process to approve a safe-and-effective vaccine. MHRA announced Dec. 2 that it approved U.S. Pfizer’s and Germany’s BioNTech’s two-dose vaccine for British consumers, before FDA approval for emergency use authorization, prompting Fauci to make his critical remarks that MHRA was not taking the same precautions as the FDA.
Whether admitted to or not, Fauci’s been a loose cannon during the entire coronavirus AKA SARS CoV-2 or Covid-19 crisis, making controversial statements, putting him at odds with the 74-year-old President Donald Trump. Throughout the epidemic started last January, Fauci’s been for-and-against masks and lockdowns, ultimately endorsing both. But his recent criticism of Britain’s MHRA raises eyebrows again, reminding Biden’s communication team that it’s hard to control the media-friendly octogenarian. Fauci apologized yesterday for implying that Britain was jumping the gun on approving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the exact one slated by the FDA for emergency use authorization approval next week. Fauci said Wednesday that British authorities didn’t act “as carefully” as the FDA. Then Fauci’s retraction happened the next day, realizing what he said.
Fauci’s public remarks show the dilemma faced by Trump’s Coronavirus Task Force and now Biden’s, using someone who makes off-the-cuff comments needs retraction. Fauci clarified his remarks yesterday saying the things are done differently in the U.K., not making them less careful about approving vaccines. “I do have great faith in both the scientific community and the regulatory community in the U.K. and anyone who knows me and my relationship with that over literally decades, you know that’s the case,” Fauci told the BBC. Whether that’s the case or not, Fauci is prone toward gaffes, something Biden will have to get used to. Things got so bad with Trump, he had to replace Fauci on the Coronavirus Task Force with 65-year-old Dr. Scott Atlas, someone Fauci went after with a vengeance. Fauci grants countless interviews with the press, increasing chances of gaffes.
Approving the Pfizer vaccine quickly, the MHRA acted more quickly now that they’re no longer bound by the same red tape as the European Union. Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, MHRA doesn’t look at raw data like the FDA, generally taking more time to approve research. “Consequently, the U.K. has almost undoubtedly had greater capacity to respond to a new application for authorization of a vaccine than any other country,” Evans said, noting the U.K. is no longer limited by EU regulations, even if they’re technically not completely independent until Dec. 31. MHRA’s CEO Raine said “no corners have been cut,” meaning that they reviewed thoroughly all the data available from Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine. Fauci’s statement gives British citizens reason for doubt, something Raine said was not necessary.
Proving that news travels fast, Bavarian Gov. Markus Speder said U.K. authorities acted “without sufficient basis,” mirroring Fauci’s remarks. “This will reduce the readiness to get vaccinated rather that increase it, because people expect a safe immunization process,” Speder said. Fauci gave the press far more detail than necessary, proving his remarks about MHRA were not misinterpreted. Fauci said U.S. regulators had to review all the raw data from Pfizer and BioNTech “in a way that could not possibly have been done any more quickly,” meaning, the FDA was far more careful than Britian’s MHRA. Fauci said that ultimately the FDA and MHRA would wind up at the same place approving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for widespread use. Fauci, despite apologizing for any misunderstandings, reiterates that the FDA takes more time reviewing data than MHRA to grant emergency use authorization.
Biden’s new Covid-19 task force has a tiger by the tail with Fauci, not sure what comes out of his mouth at any time. When he turned from infectious disease expert into cryptic political hack making Trump look bad, Trump replaced him with Dr. Scott Atlas. Fauci was so offended he spent much of his time discrediting Atlas, running down his infectious disease credentials. Other than telling people to wear masks, socially distance and shut down businesses, Fauci’s a one-trick pony, having nothing new to say. He said little positive about the vaccines during the election, way over estimating when they’d be ready for public consumption. Now that the vaccines are ready, Fauci disparages the MHRA, like they weren’t doing due diligence like the FDA. “At the end of the day, it’s going to be safe, it’s going to be effective,” Fauci said, walking back his remarks about MHRA not doing enough due diligence.
