Nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Fauci, was hopeful that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would issue the full approval of COVID-19 vaccines as early as this month.

The FDA granted the emergency use for Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines. However, the agency was put in the center as the nation expects the full approval of the Pfizer vaccine.

Fauci on FDA's Full Approval of VaccinesIn an interview on Sunday, Aug. 8, Dr. Fauci expressed that he hopes the agency would grant the full approval by the end of August.

Despite touting the vaccine approval, Fauci underscored that he is not predicting the agency would grant them, but he is mainly hoping it would be possible by the end of the month.

The NIH director also noted that no one wants to get ahead of the FDA "because they're an independent group that makes their own decisions.

Fauci's comments came as the Biden administration slowly incorporate the vaccine mandates among nursing home workers and domestic travelers.

It can be recalled that Fauci earlier mentioned the impact of FDA's full approval of the vaccines, such as more vaccine mandates would be issued by several sectors such as businesses and universities, contending that they would be more confident about the inoculation.

In the previous weeks, increasing numbers of private businesses and institutions have mandated vaccines as a condition of employment or enrollment in education programs. Furthermore, the Biden administration also weighs on other options to spur unvaccinated Americans to get the jab, as the Delta COVID variant continues to wreak havoc across the United States.

Citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA Today reported that at least 50.1 percent of the American population were fully vaccinated. The said rate is equivalent to more than 166.2 million Americans.

Fauci Says Booster Shot Needed by Some Groups

Apart from expressing his hopes of having full approval from the FDA by the end of August, Dr. Fauci also said in the interview that some groups such as the elderly would need the booster shots to defend themselves against COVID-19. Apart from the elderly, the NIH director also said that other who have compromised immune system would also need the said shots.

Fauci said that over time, the protection against the virus would decrease. The NIH director referenced data from Pfizer revealing that protection of the jab from the 90s went down to around 84 after a few months.

Moreover, the NIH director noted that the decrease would likely put the nation to a point where an additional boost would be needed among certain groups, particularly the elderlies.

Dr. Fauci shared that they are observing the data on a "weekly basis," and when it comes to a critical point, they will administer the COVID booster shots for the said demographics.

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Written By: Joshua Summers

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