Dr. Fauci says Omicron-specific vaccine may not be needed
The top US infectious disease official has said that manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant of the coronavirus would be a "prudent" move, even if it ultimately may not be needed.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, US President Joe Biden's top medical adviser and a member of the White House COVID-19 Response Team, told MSNBC on Tuesday that having ready an Omicron specific booster shot makes sense.
"We may not need it... but I think it's prudent to at least prepare for the possibility that this may be a persistent variant that we may have to face - even if it's at a very low level," he said.
Fauci pointed out that eventually, enough community immunity will hopefully build-up to prevent massive surges like the ones experienced before.
Despite the high rate of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic and all-time records of hospitalizations across the country, Fauci dismissed the likeliness of further surges such as the four to five waves that were driven by the variants so far. "I don't think we're going to be seeing that indefinitely."
Speaking on ABC’s “This Week" on Sunday, Fauci said that the Omicron wave was peaking nationally in the United States and that the coronavirus cases could fall to manageable levels in the coming months. “What we would hope is that, as we get into the next weeks to a month or so, we’ll see throughout the entire country the level of the infection get to below what I call that area of control.”
Fauci insisted that this did not mean eradicating the virus. Infections will continue. “They’re there but they don’t disrupt society,” he said. “That’s the best-case scenario.”
Mass rallies held in major US cities in support of Gaza
Yale students threaten hunger strike over university connection to Gaza war
Yale students stage hunger strike to demand divestment from Israel
How Iranian missiles and drones evaded Israel’s much-hyped air defenses
70,000 pro-Palestine people in UK urge London to end arms exports to Israel
VIDEO | Gaza, Hezbollah, and decline of Zionism
Iran Greco-Roman wrestlers win Asian championship
Gaza authorities slam Israel for torturing Palestinian children
Putin: Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel best way to punish aggressor
Erdogan: Israel to blame for tensions in West Asia
VIDEO | Iran’s ‘True Promise’
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
