Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, wears a protective mask during a White House Coronavirus Task Force press conference at the James Brady Press Briefing Room in the White House on November 19, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Tasos Katopodis | Getty Images
Dr Anthony Fauci has won the $ 1 million Dan David Prize for “defending science” and advocating for vaccines now being administered worldwide to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The Israel-based Dan David Foundation on Monday named President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser as the winner of one of the three awards. He is said to have earned the recognition of a lifetime leader in HIV research and AIDS relief, as well as his proponent of the COVID-19 vaccinations.
In its statement, the private foundation did not mention former President Donald Trump, which undermined Fauci’s adherence to the scientific approach to the pandemic. But it credited Fauci for “courageously defending science in the face of uninformed opposition during the challenging COVID crisis.”
“While unraveling the COVID-19 pandemic, (Fauci) used his considerable communication skills to address people gripped by anxiety and distress and worked tirelessly to inform individuals in the United States and elsewhere about the public health measures necessary to curb the spread of the pandemic. ” said the foundation’s award committee and praised Fauci for speaking the truth in a very charged political environment.
Fauci, 80, serves seven presidents and has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984.
In recent interviews, Fauci acknowledged that it was sometimes difficult to work for Trump, who repeatedly downplayed the severity of the pandemic, considered the need for mask wear and often unproven scientific remedies, including the injection of disinfectants.
Trump was annoyed by Fauci’s flattering press coverage and reveled in calls for ‘Fire Fauci!’ at some of his rallies. But Fauci overtook Trump, who lost the November election.
“It was very clear that things were being said, whether it was regarding hydroxychloroquine and other things, that were really uncomfortable because it was not scientifically sound,” Fauci said at a recent White House briefing. He added that he had “no pleasure” in contradicting the president.
According to Fauci, Biden’s election was ‘liberating’.
The Dan David Prize, established in 2000, awards $ 1 million each year in three categories for contributions that address the past, present and future.
Fauci has won the award for achievement in the ‘current’ field of public health, the foundation said.
Professors Alison Bashford, Katharine Park and Keith Wailoo, who work in the fields of history and health medicine, won the category ‘Past’. The pioneers of anticancer immunotherapy, Professor Zelig Eshhar, dr. Carl June and dr. Steven Rosenberg, wins the “Future” category.
The foundation is based on the University of Tel Aviv, where it provides a number of programs in the humanities and social sciences. The foundation sets aside 10% of the prize money for scholarships.
The founding director, Ariel David, the son of the award’s founder, said this year’s award winners “investigated how humanity has dealt with diseases and pandemics throughout history; first and foremost with the discovery of new treatments that give us hope. for the future in the ongoing fight against cancer and other diseases. ‘
Previous recipients of the Dan David Prize include former US Vice President Al Gore, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, novelist Margaret Atwood, co-founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales, and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen.