Fauci Didn't Say COVID Vaccine Should be Rushed Through Testing
The Claim
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, has made two conflicting suggestions: 1) that the drug Hydroxychloroquine is not a recommended treatment for COVID-19 because a major study has not been done on it and 2) the COVID-19 vaccine should be rushed through development without proper clinical trials.
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Emerging story
The meme emerged on social media beginning as early as April 28th, 2020. It went viral in summer 2020.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation has found that large parts of the claims are fake, and at best overall the meme takes cherry-picked facts to mislead its audience. The root of these cherry-picked facts begins with the first quote, referring to Fauci’s dismissal of Hydroxychloroquine as an effective treatment for COVID-19.
While he did in fact reject any recommendation of the drug as a treatment, he did so as a result of several robust studies which categorically demonstrated the lack of effectiveness of Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 like that done by Oxford University and the World Health Organization. In fact, the FDA has even discovered that the drug was potentially linked to serious heart rhythm problems and other severe side-effects. He also specifically claimed in one White House Press Briefing that all reports of it being a worthwhile treatment were “anecdotal”. Nonetheless, his rejection was never as a result of the lack of study and in fact as a result of the large body of evidence against it.
The second claim is far more dangerous and also far more inaccurate. At no point has Dr. Fauci ever made a statement that indicated a COVID-19 vaccine would be rushed through clinical trials. When asked by the BBC, a representative from the U.S. National Institute of Health--Dr. Fauci’s employer--stated that the claim "is completely made up, Dr Fauci has never said anything like that."
To the contrary, he has expressly outlined the conditions for approval of a vaccine several times.
The only somewhat similar quote that exists is one he gave during an interview with STAT News, to which he remarked that a vaccine might start being manufactured “even before you know it works,” as a result of President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed which moved to accelerate the timeline for bringing massive quantities of an approved vaccine to the public. Even still, Fauci made clear that while it might be manufactured ahead of time to speed up the process, it would never be released unless scientists were confiident that it was effective.
