White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci returned to lead the Biden administration’s public messaging on Covid after his own battle with the disease, urging Americans to again wear masks indoors, get vaccinated, and get boosted even if they recently recovered. The warning comes amid the surging new sub-lineage of omicron dubbed BA.5 that became dominant in the United States in the second week of July.
The New York Post reported,
Now recovered, the quadruple-vaccinated infectious disease expert gave a series of interviews Tuesday to warn of surging cases sparked by the latest Omicron variant, BA.5 — and caution Americans that even those recently recovered from an infection are likely still at risk.
During his appearance on MSNBC on Tuesday, Dr. Fauci said that the omicron sub-lineage BA.5 that is currently affecting the country and the rise of infection rate associated with it is “something we absolutely need to take seriously.” He continued, “It [BA. 5] has a transmission advantage over the prior variants that were dominant.”
Coronaviruses mutate rather quickly, which means that they work their way to evade vaccine-induced immunity, suggested Fauci.
“The dominant variant was first BA.1, then BA.2, then BA.2.1 … and on and on and then you get to BA.4-5, and particularly BA.5, which clearly has a transmission advantage, which is one of the reasons why we’re seeing throughout several regions of the country, including, in particular, the New York area, you’re starting to see cases go up.” For reference, 87.9 percent of New York State’s residents are fully vaccinated, and more than 53 percent of the eligible population is boosted, per the latest data.
Fauci further lamented that “Everybody wants to put this pandemic behind us and feel and hope that it doesn’t exist — it does.” The doctor then proceeded to the “good news,” saying that we have the “capability and the tools” that just need to be utilized.
The first advice from Fauci is to get vaccinated if one has not done so yet. The doctor did not mention why anyone at this point in the pandemic would take a vaccine that was designed against the original Wuhan strain. By naming all the omicron subvariants that have occurred just since last November, Fauci himself suggested that the virus currently circulating in the country is very different from the one that landed in America in January 2021.
“… You see here … how successive variants due to mutational changes have essentially bumped one variant off the table after the other, leading to the broader category of Omicron where we are right now,” Fauci confirmed during a White House press briefing on Covid on Tuesday.
Fauci went on to admit that BA.5 “substantially evades neutralizing antibodies induced in people by vaccination and infection,” while also stating that the sub-lineage is not more dangerous than the previous sub-lineages and strains and “doesn’t appear to be associated with greater disease severity or hospitalizations compared to the most recent sub variant.” At the same time, the doctor said that the vaccines protect against “severe Covid outcomes.” Thus, the question of the necessity of the vaccines remains open.
The second tool recommended by Fauci was taking an additional vaccine dose if vaccinated. Just see how well it worked for Fauci and other top-profile DC insiders! Currently, the CDC recommends everyone over the age of five get one booster after completing their COVID-19 vaccine primary series, if eligible. Adults aged 50 and older, as well as some immunocompromised individuals, should take two. By fall, Americans will likely be able to receive yet another booster specifically targeting omicron — at least its initial sub-lineages, since the vaccine manufacturers started working on them in late 2021. Despite the abysmal efficacy demonstrated and absent the FDA signoff and the CDC recommendation, the Biden administration is “leading the science” by purchasing as many as 105 million doses with an option to get 195 million more. The deal cost taxpayers $3.2 billion, as reported by The New American.
Last but not least, Fauci recommends people wear face masks “when you’re in an area where you have a high dynamic of infection,” particularly “in indoor congregate settings.”
One may be forgiven for being confused by the official recommendation on masks that has changed rather erratically during the past two and a half years. The bottom line, however, is that the overwhelming evidence suggests that masks are not just completely ineffective in preventing viral transmission, but actually associated with higher Covid rates. That is not to mention significant developmental delays in children, as explained by industrial hygienist and one of the nation’s top testifying experts on personal protection equipment (PPE) and exposure control, Stephen Petty, in a recent interview with The New American.
On Tuesday, the White House announced a “strategy” to manage BA.5 emphasizing the importance of wearing masks indoors and getting booster shots for those who are eligible.
Also on Tuesday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky lamented that “many Americans are under vaccinated,” meaning they are “eligible” to receive a booster shot yet have not done so. She expressed concern that only 28 percent of those over the age of 50 who received their first booster returned for their second. Of those over the age of 65, “only” 34 percent received a second booster. Walensky urged those eligible to go and get the shot “right away.”
As reported by The New American, the FDA on March 29 authorized a second booster of the mRNA vaccine from either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for people age 50 and older, to be gotten four months after their first one. The FDA, however, skipped the traditional consultation with its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), which evaluates vaccines’ safety, efficacy, and appropriate use by reviewing and verifying the data provided by the vaccine’s manufacturer — for what it’s worth.
That same day, the CDC signed off on the FDA’s action, saying these individuals “may” get a second mRNA booster if they choose to. Much like its sister agency, the CDC announced the recommendation without consulting the outside advisors from its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), who typically hold a public meeting to review the evidence that the shots are indeed needed to preserve public health.
