Dr. Anthony FauciAnthony FauciSunday shows preview: Lawmakers weigh in on Trump accusations; Biden administration looks at timeline for mass vaccinations University of Oxford to test COVID-19 vaccine in children. Five things to know about new CDC coronavirus guidelines MORE, the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, said on Sunday that a stimulus bill must be approved in order to reopen schools safely.
While Fauci appeared on ABC’s “This Week”, he chatted with the host George StephanopoulosGeorge Robert Stephanopoulos Lawyers blame Trump for riots as GOP senator threatens second indictment: Trump accusations ‘a meaningless biased exercise for messages’, Buttigieg says ‘time is of the essence’ on stimulus bill MORE on how schools can safely reopen and expand further recently introduced new guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
‘This is the first time it has been set out in a document based on scientific observations and data over the past few months to a year, both in the United States and elsewhere. “Part of that is to indicate and strongly suggest that teachers prefer to be vaccinated,” Fauci said, although he added that it is possible to reopen schools without having all teachers vaccinated beforehand.
When asked by Stephanopoulos whether schools have the available means to comply with the new CDC guidelines, Fauci said he does not believe so.
‘I think the schools really need more resources, and that’s why the national emergency relief law we are talking about is succeeding – we need it. The schools need more resources. ”
House committees have begun to review portions of President BidenJoe BidenBiden on Trump acquittal: ‘The case is not in dispute’ White House spokesman resigns after threatening political reporter Trump votes a conviction exposes GOP division MORE‘s $ 1.9 billion stimulus plan, and the Democrats have promised to pass a final bill by next month.
However, Fauci on Sunday appears to be optimistic about the reopening of schools, a move he supports throughout the pandemic, arguing that the disadvantage for young students is too great.
“I think it can be done. I mean, this is obviously not a perfect situation, but it’s really important to get the kids back in a safer way. Safe for the children, but also safe for the teachers and the other educators, ”said Fauci.
Dr Fauci
Anthony FauciSunday shows preview: Lawmakers weigh in on Trump accusations; Biden Administration looks at timeline for mass vaccinations University of Oxford to start testing COVID-19 vaccine in children. Five things to know about new CDC coronavirus guidelines MORE tell @gstephanopoulos “schools need more resources” to combat COVID-19 effectively, adding: “it can be done.”
“Obviously this is not a perfect situation, but it is very important to get the children back in the safest way.” https://t.co/AsaBejuXu6 pic.twitter.com/INndliCji3
– This Week (@ThisWeekABC) 14 February 2021
In its new guidelines for reopening the school, the CDC said it was ‘critical that schools be able to open as safely and as quickly as possible’, due to the benefits of personal learning. Data from the past year show a decrease in not only the academic performance of students, but also in their mental health and well-being as classes move online and at home.
Fauci also touched on the growing threat of coronavirus variants from the United Kingdom and South Africa. He said the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were ‘clearly’ effective against the UK variant, stating that widespread vaccine administration was the best way to avoid ‘serious consequences’.
Stephanopoulos noted that the data regarding the South African variant is missing. Recent data suggest that the South African strain is more resistant to current vaccines.
“We do know that it evades the protection of some of the monoclonal antibodies and it reduces the ability and effectiveness of the vaccine to block it. It does not eliminate it, but reduces it multiple times. There is still a cushion left. so that the vaccine provides some protection against it, “said Fauci.