Dr. Anthony Fauci hit the airwaves this morning and claimed that he thinks the FDA-CDC decision to pause the J&J vaccine after 6 women out of almost 7 million vaccinated developed dangerous blood clots will “actually bolster vaccine confidence”:
Anthony Fauci suggested that the decision to pause use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could actually bolster vaccine confidence, calling it "an affirmation that safety is a primary consideration when it comes to the FDA and CDC." https://t.co/cL34lIPOSk
— Axios (@axios) April 14, 2021
Watch for yourself:
“It’s an argument for why you should get vaccinated”: Fauci says the feds pausing J&J’s vaccine should encourage Americans; "the system that is trying to protect the American people is working" pic.twitter.com/6tS5TXSvlF
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) April 14, 2021
You know, maybe Dr. Fauci needs to get out his COVID-19 lockdown a little more because this is just not how normal people are reacting to the news:
We've already heard from two friends this morning — unsolicited — that this J&J stoppage has convinced them the vaccines were rushed and can't be trusted.
Heckuva job.
— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) April 13, 2021
For years people who have concerns over vaccines have been lumped in with conspiracy theorists and the like, and the FDA and CDC just made it a whole lot harder to persuade those folks to get the jab:
If you travel and talk to folks, you realize not everyone "hesitant" about getting vaccinated is a bad-faith mouthbreather
There are lots of Americans who've heard lots of mixed messages and just want assurances that this is safe
Which it is! But persuading them just got harder
— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) April 13, 2021
Fauci also responded to Fox News’ Tucker Carlson who questioned on his show last night if the vaccines actually work. Via The Daily Beast:
Carlson continued: “If the vaccine is effective, there’s no reason for people who’ve received a vaccine to wear masks or avoid physical contact. So maybe it doesn’t work and they’re simply not telling you that. Well, you’d hate to think that especially if you’ve gotten two shots but what’s the other potential explanation? We can’t think of one.”
Fauci called it “a typical crazy conspiracy theory”:
JUST NOW: "A typical crazy conspiracy theory…it's counter to what we're trying to accomplish to protect safety & health of the American public. "
Dr. Fauci on @TuckerCarlson speculating coronavirus vaccines don't work, & government is lying about it.pic.twitter.com/fPNdZG5BPX
— John Berman (@JohnBerman) April 14, 2021
Here’s a fuller clip to put what Carlson was saying in perspective. He was talking about Fauci’s overall messaging and it would be really nice to hear why, if the vaccines work as well as Fauci says they do that we still can’t eat indoors, travel, etc.:
Tucker Carlson on the medical establishment's horrible messaging regarding vaccines and the whole point (or so we thought) – a return to normalcy.
"Does that tell us that Tony Fauci believes that vaccines are ineffective? He seems to think that." pic.twitter.com/Ns7YFGowwt
— Scott Morefield (@SKMorefield) April 14, 2021
Because CNN can try to blame Carlson all they want, it’s Fauci and the FDA-CDC that just nuked vaccine credibility:
FAUCI IS THE ONE TELLING US THE VACCINES DON'T WORK. https://t.co/4vTlwJ3qxr
— I got your #Unity right here (@jtLOL) April 14, 2021
Right?
yeah I can’t believe Tucker Carlson said that 6 blood clots out of 7 million doses was reason enough to halt all J&J vaccinations, that was really irresponsible of him https://t.co/dQ82djZ2D0
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) April 14, 2021
Also, note that Fauci never addressed Carlson’s main point on why we can’t start doing things again even if vaccinated:
He didn’t address Tuckers point.
— Nathaniel Pope (@NotDaRealPope) April 14, 2021
As for when the J&J vaccine will be back, Fauci was non-commital but hoped the pause would be “days to weeks”:
“I believe this is going to take days to weeks… I think we’re going to be hearing about a decision pretty quickly.” -Dr. Anthony Fauci on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine pause pic.twitter.com/nRuSwkqJfZ
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 14, 2021
And he told people who already got the J&J shot not to worry:
What’s your advice to people who have received the J&J vaccine? –@SavannahGuthrie
You don’t want people who just received the vaccine to be overly worried about this. This is a rare occurrence. The pause is just as an abundance of caution. -Dr. Anthony Fauci pic.twitter.com/TgU1grAyry
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 14, 2021
Again with the mixed message. It’s too dangerous to continue to use but nobody should worry about it because the complications are incredibly rare. Heckuva job, everyone.
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