Fauci defends Biden’s support for recommending vaccines ‘one on one’

Anthony Fauci on Monday defended the Biden administration’s support of door-to-door vaccination efforts, amid Republican attacks.

“When you get down to now a core, lesser group, you’ve got to go one on one, and that’s really what the president was talking about on trying to get some of these advisers, not federal officials, but community people to go out there and try and convince people why it’s so important for their own health, for that of their family and for that of the community, to go out and get vaccinated,” Fauci said on “CBS This Morning.”

Daily COVID cases are rising again across most of the U.S. Over the past week, new cases are up by 66%, and infection rates are rising in more than three dozen states.

Health officials say the speed of the Delta variant’s spread is worrisome.

Dr. Fauci joins us to explain. pic.twitter.com/AM22gkf5Yi

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) July 12, 2021

“We really need to get more people vaccinated,” he added.

Many Republicans have attacked President Biden’s comments earlier this month calling for a “door-to-door” vaccination push, saying it is government intrusion.

The White House has pushed back strongly, saying that it is not federal employees going door to door, but that it is important for community leaders to be doing outreach, and that Republicans are siding against providing life-saving information about vaccines.

The efforts have been ongoing since April, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last week.

“When people are critical of these tactics, it’s really a disservice to the country and to the doctors, faith leaders, community leaders and others who are working to get people vaccinated,” Psaki said.

Fauci also on Monday echoed pushback from public health officials that a booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine is not needed at this time, despite the company saying last week it would be applying to the Food and Drug Administration for authorization for a third dose.

Fauci noted that government health officials, not Pfizer, will make the decision.

“You’re talking about the difference between an organization whose responsibility is to make an official recommendation based on data, and a pharmaceutical company, as good as they are, who look at their product and say, ‘Hey you know, we really think you need to get a booster shot,’ so there is a difference there,” Fauci said.

Fauci said Sunday on CNN that studies are ongoing, but “given the data and the information we have, we do not need to give people a third shot” at the moment.