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The NFL is sending a strong message on COVID-19 vaccines with its new rule regarding potential outbreaks during the season, Dr Anthony Fauci said Thursday. The league said COVID outbreaks among unvaccinated players could result in lost games and players suffering financial losses.
“The NFL is sending a very strong signal that getting the vaccine is very important,” he told CBS Evening News presenter and editor Norah O’Donnell. “If you want to play football and you want to do it in an unrestricted way and without worrying about penalties, you just get the vaccine because they say if unvaccinated people get infected there will be consequences. ”
The NFL tried to vaccinate players, but only 75% received at least one dose. A note from league commissioner Roger Goodell said any team that causes a match to be canceled will be responsible for financial losses and players on both teams will not be paid.
Fauci said he expects others to follow suit.
“I think it gives them the impetus to do the same sort of thing. And I think you’re going to see that there will be local mandates, whether they come from colleges and universities or places of business that ‘There will be pressure for people to get vaccinated,’ he said.
The NFL announcement comes as the United States sees an increase in cases as vaccinations stagnate and there are growing concerns about the Delta variant and breakthrough infections – when people fully vaccinated against COVID test positive for the virus.
Fauci said breakthrough cases are not a signal that vaccines are failing because they still primarily prevent serious illness.
“Efficacy, as it is here, is really based on preventing a clinically recognizable disease,” he said. “Most of the time you are dealing with an asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic infection. The vaccine is still very protective against serious illness, leading to hospitalization and death.”
“If you look at the number of people who are hospitalized, what percentage of those are not vaccinated? It’s about 95%. What percentage of people who die from COVID-19 are not vaccinated? It is about 99.5%, whereas the vaccinated people occupy a very small fraction of this group ”, he added.
Fauci said he did not expect future closures as the peaks of cases are mostly in unvaccinated people.
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