Fauci says AstraZeneca has made ‘a good vaccine’

Speaking at the White House COVID-19 response team briefing Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci praised AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine based on the most recent data the company has released.

Video transcript

- Thank you. Yes, this is a question for Dr. Fauci. Can you explain why you decided to issue a public statement questioning the AstraZeneca interim results? And do you think that their updated results will enable them to secure emergency-use authorization because I think many countries around the world that are relying on the AstraZeneca vaccine will be taking their lead from the FDA, even if asked-for doses are not used in the US.

ANTHONY FAUCI: Well with regard to-- excuse me-- to your first question, I believe you're referring to the NIH statement that followed the letter that was sent by the DSMB to AZ as well as with a copy to me. I did not have a statement questioning their data at all. I urged them to make sure that their data was up-to-date in the sense that the DSMB had written to them a rather harsh note saying they did not believe that the data that was in their press conference was the most recent updated data.

The only statement that we made in our release was to encourage them to work closely with the DSMB to make sure that the data that they put into their press release is the most up-to-date and accurate data. So I didn't question their data at all. I just urged them to work closely with the DSMB.

- I think your final question was asking us to consider whether the FDA was going to grant in EUA. Obviously we're going to leave that to the FDA but I'm wondering if, Dr. Fauci, you have any additional comments given the data that you have seen relative to the AstraZeneca release.

ANTHONY FAUCI: Well the data that they made public most recently indicates to me that this is a good vaccine that is going to have a very important role in the global response to this outbreak.