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Today’s entry: Why is Fauci trying to downplay the study showing Moderna’s superior efficacy? If one vaccine is more effective against the variants, wouldn’t it make the most sense to prioritize that vaccine at this stage in the pandemic?
Bottom Line: To be fair, the reporting on Dr. Fauci’s comments, based on what he said on Meet the Press, was somewhat dramatized. The new Mayo Clinic study showing Moderna’s 76% prevention efficacy against the Delta variants, to Pfizer’s 42%. Fauci said, "That study is a pre-print study, it hasn’t been fully peer-reviewed. I don’t doubt what they’re seeing, but there are a lot of confounding variables in there, about when one was started, the relative amount of people in that cohort who were delta vs alpha – right now, if we get boosters … it’s clear we want to make sure we get people, if possible, to get the boost from the original vaccine.
So, he didn’t actually refute the study, instead, he deflected. He chose to focus on those already vaccinated stating that they want those who will seek boosters to stick with the vaccine they were originally vaccinated with in the first place. We don’t have any publicly available research to confirm or deny Fauci’s preference for boosters. His guidance may well be the best path forward for those who’ve already been vaccinated. However, to your point, available accredited research, most recently that Mayo Clinic study, suggests the Moderna vaccine is the most effective for those who’ve yet to be vaccinated. The deflection by Fauci is consistent with the narrative I discussed.
Since the onset of the vaccine rollout, the narrative has been to just get vaccinated. Because the federal government, and the medical establishment broadly, embraced that approach treating all vaccines equitably rather than fully informing Americans as to the efficacy variances of the vaccines, they've made their bed. If Fauci were to acknowledge now that the Moderna vaccine is superior, he’d have to account for why there were indications that were the case in January. He’d have a whole lot of explaining to do.
The total vaccinations administered, based on doses, through Sunday are 3.9% Johnson & Johnson, 40% Moderna, and 56.1% Pfizer. Florida’s percentage of Moderna vaccinations is lower than the national average, along with a larger share of J&J vaccinations. With six out of ten vaccinations taking place with a non-Moderna vaccine, it’s unlikely we’ll ever hear team Fauch and company attesting to the overall superiority of Moderna. Therefore, it’s important for all of us to become as informed as possible and make our own informed decisions.
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