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Top line
Amid sagging Covid-19 vaccination rates and stubborn levels of reluctance to vaccinate, Dr Anthony Fauci told CNN on Saturday that the United States’ successful campaigns to eradicate smallpox and polio in the past century would not have succeeded if these vaccines were subjected to the same level of misinformation that currently surrounds coronavirus vaccines.
Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks … [+]
POOL / AFP via Getty Images
Highlights
In an interview with CNN, Fauci warned that some unvaccinated adults have been exposed to false information, are often skeptical of the objective data of Covid-19, and frequently justify their decision not to get vaccinated with “things that don’t. are really just not true ”.
After anchor Jim Acosta likened the situation to polio, the government’s top infectious disease expert issued a terrible warning: Fauci said efforts to eradicate smallpox (which has been eradicated worldwide over 40 years ago) and polio (which has been eliminated in almost all of them have weakened in the current climate of disinformation.
Crucial quote
“If we had had the hindsight of vaccines as we see in some media, I don’t think at all that it would have been possible not only to eradicate smallpox, we would probably still have smallpox,” Fauci told Acosta “And we would probably still have polio in this country if we had the kind of false information that is spreading now.” “
Large number
99.5%. This is the share of Covid-19 deaths in the United States in the first half of 2021 among unvaccinated people, CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky estimated two weeks ago.
Key context
Some 55.9% of Americans are at least partially vaccinated against Covid-19, but the pace of vaccinations has slowed considerably after peaking three months ago, and many Americans say they are unlikely to ever be immune to the virus. As an inoculation crater, many states are facing an increase in Covid-19 cases fueled by the new, more contagious Delta variant, especially in parts of the country with low vaccination rates. The White House has blamed part of this trend on misinformation circulating through social media that exaggerates the risks and downplays the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines. This week, President Biden said platforms like Facebook are “killing people” by allowing inaccurate information to circulate, and Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy urged social media companies to take a more proactive approach to prevent the spread of fake vaccines and coronavirus reports.
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