Dr. Anthony Fauci was confronted by Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday regarding remarks he had made bragging about the superiority of innate immunity against vaccinations.
What took place?
Paul aired a video of Fauci stating in 2004 that “the most powerful vaccination is being infected yourself” during a Senate hearing on monkeypox.
When a caller inquired about getting a flu shot after being sick with the flu for two weeks, Fauci responded during a taping of the “C-SPAN’s Washington Journal.”
At the time, Fauci remarked, “If she had the flu for 14 days, she’s as protected as anyone can be because the best immunization is becoming sick yourself. She certainly doesn’t need a flu shot if she actually has the virus,”
The most effective vaccination is being sick yourself, according to Fauci, who responded when the C-SPAN host inquired if she should receive the flu shot.
In light of Fauci’s earlier statements, Paul questioned Fauci about why he keeps advocating COVID-19 booster doses, particularly for kids, despite the fact that, in his opinion, most kids already have COVID antibodies.
Paul remarked, “When we look at this, we wonder how or why you seem to reject fundamental immunology now, after appearing to fully embrace it back in 2004.”
In response, Fauci said that he does not disagree with “basic immunology” and that he has never denied that “the protection after infection” is important. He continued by stressing the value of immunization for an “additional, extra boost” following infection. He subsequently asserted that his 2004 statements had been “truly taken out of context.”
But Paul checked him right away.
Paul chimed in, criticizing Fauci for frequently recommending that youngsters undergo COVID boosters while ignoring natural immunity. “Actually, words don’t lie,” Paul said.
So, Paul said, “you’re contradicting the very foundational tenet of immunology, which is that prior infection does offer some type of immunity.”
Paul said, “If you disregard whether they’ve been infected, you’re practically ignoring a vaccine. Thus you’re ignoring a variable. You and others lament “vaccine hesitancy,” and this is due to the jargon you use to describe it. You’re not taking science seriously!”
Fauci, though, insisted that he does not disregard fundamental immunology. Paul retorted that failing to mention prior infection in official vaccine advice is equivalent to downplaying the value of innate immunity.
