Tipsheet

During CNN's 'Facts and Fear' Town Hall, Fauci Urges Same Precautions for Fully Vaccinated Individuals

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  December 02, 2021 2:30 PM

On Wednesday night, CNN held a town hall to address the omicron variant, with Dr. Anthony Fauci appearing as a "special guest." Despite how the event was literally billed as a "facts and fear" kind of discussion, Dr. Fauci didn't exactly deliver on the task of keeping people free from needless fear. 

At one point in the show, Dr. Fauci was asked in the form of a viewer question, "What should someone who has all three shots do to protect themselves against the omicron variant?" Dr. Fauci and others are using this new variant as a push for people to not only get vaccinated if they haven't already, but to get their booster.

"We're asking people to go get booster shots, and the question that was just asked is very relevant. What you do is exactly what we were saying, and that is to be prudent and careful, and one of the things that's very clear is that if you have to be in an indoor congregate setting in which you're unsure of what the vaccination status is of the people around you, wear a mask," Fauci said, acknowledging that they are indeed advocating for boosters. 

"Also, when you're in indoor settings, try and go to a place where's there's good ventilation. Try, and I know it's tough as we get into the colder months, but try to do things outdoors more frequently than just indoors. But it's just the common sense prudent trying to avoid a risky situation," Fauci went on to say, also pointing out the questioner had "already taken a major step" in protecting themselves because they have "gotten vaccinated" and "boosted." "That's a real big step toward protecting yourself," he stated. 

Beyond the absurdity of Fauci's suggestions, it's worth highlighting his particular word choice. This includes how Fauci claims it's "very clear" that fully vaccinated people, which now includes them having a booster, should wear a mask if they're unsure about the vaccination status of someone else. 

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Dr. Fauci also claimed that "it's just the common sense prudent to avoid a risky situation" when he's talking about someone who is again, fully vaccinated, right before acknowledging that person has "already taken a major step" in protecting themselves because they have been vaccinated and received the booster shot.

We've been told that the boosters are thought to provide protection against the variants. While it's too soon to tell for sure when it comes to the omicron variant, Dr. Francis Collins said earlier this week that vaccines "most likely" protect against the variant. As the head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at least for a few more weeks, Dr. Collins is Fauci's boss. 

While there have been two cases of the new variant discovered in the United States, in San Francisco and Minnesota, the individual in San Francisco "had mild symptoms that are improving," according to a statement from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The statement also shared that "[a]ll close contacts have been contacted and have tested negative."

Over the weekend, I covered remarks that Dr. Angelique Coetzee, the South African doctor who informed the country's vaccine advisory committee, shared with The Telegraph. Dr. Coetzee indicated that the symptoms were "so different" and "so mild."

Katie has since reported on Dr. Coetzee writing in the Daily Mail that she was "stunned" by the overreaction. "Above all, don't panic – and that goes for governments as well," Coetzee wrote in part. 

However, as has been reported throughout Thursday, the Biden administration, which touts the trust the president has for Fauci, is set to announce sweeping restrictions in the name of combating the variant.