>
The Fauci-Paul show returned to Congress on Wednesday, when the world-renowned immunologist slammed his libertarian tormentor in a contest that didn’t even mention monkey pox — the subject that brought them to the Senate hearing.
Once again, Senator Rand Paul went to the archives to retrieve old comments from Dr. Anthony Fauci in an attempt to portray him as a scientifically inconsistent impostor.
And again Fauci defeated him with a fact check and a quip. “I have never denied basic immunology,” he said.
“In fact, I wrote the chapter in the medical textbook on basic immunology.”
The two clashed after hearing, but the end of the Fauci-Paul show is approaching. The 81-year-old has announced that he will retire in December.
The only chance of repeats is if Republicans take back the House or Senate and launch investigations into Fauci and his handling of the pandemic.
The subject before the Senate health committee on Wednesday was “Stopping the Spread of Monkeypox: Examining the Federal Response.”
But it could have been “five easy steps to cure cancer,” for anyone who cared about Paul as he continued his quest for a pandemic gotcha moment with President Joe Biden’s top medical adviser and the public face of the pandemic response. the country.
sen. Rand Paul used a Senate hearing on the monkeypox emergency to get Dr. Anthony Fauci grilled about the COVID-19 pandemic response, and brought up a 2004 interview about flu
Fauci gave the best he could and is looking forward to his retirement in December
He placed a tablet next to his microphone and played an old clip of Fauci answering a TV show question about whether someone with the flu still needed a flu shot.
“Well no,” Fauci responded in the 2004 clip.
‘If she has the flu for fourteen days, she is as well protected as possible, because the best vaccination is to become infected herself.’
Ah, said Paul. So why isn’t this taken into account when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, he wondered.
“This is an ongoing question and we have heard changing opinions from you. Currently, antibody studies show that 80 percent of children and about 80 percent of children have had COVID,” he said.
“And yet no guidelines come from you or anyone in government to take into account their naturally acquired immunity.”
Mortality for COVID is now comparable to the flu, he added.
Paul blew up a picture of Fauci from the 2004 interview when he tried to show that he had been inconsistent in his stance on vaccination, previous infection and antibodies
But Fauci came up with a fact-check from Reuters and concluded that his stance was consistent – and the microphone went down: ‘In fact, I wrote the textbook chapter of medicine on basic immunology’
“So when we look at this, we wonder — you know — why you seemed to really embrace basic immunology in 2004 and how you, or why you seem to reject it now,” he asked.
Fauci replied with a mix of annoyance and a Reuters fact check.
“Well, I don’t reject basic immunology, Senator, and I’ve never denied that post-infection protection is important,” he said.
However, as we have said many times and as has been validated by the authorization of [Federal Drug Administration] through their committee and the CDC’s recommendation through their committee that a vaccination after infection gives an extra boost.’
In addition, he said, the video has been taken out of context. He was responding to a question about someone who had reacted badly to a flu shot — not a question about the general population.
“In fact, Reuters looked at the fact check and said Fauci’s 2004 comments do not contradict his pandemic stance,” he said.
Paul wasn’t about to let that get in the way of his plan of attack. He was prepared with a prop: a giant photo of Fauci from the interview, with his words.
“Actually, don’t lie,” said the elected politician.
“If you look at the words behind me, we can follow them little by little. “She doesn’t need it, because the most powerful fascination is to get infected herself.”
Yes, said Fauci. ‘It’s true. It’s true, Senator, it’s a very powerful way to protect,” he said.
Paul responded by (ignoring Reuters’ zeal) accusing Fauci of shifting position and causing vaccine hesitation by downplaying the value of a previous infection.
Fauci leaves his role in the Biden government before Biden’s term is up, sparking suspicion from across the aisle and threat of congressional investigations
dr. Anthony Fauci became a household name during the covid pandemic and he clashed repeatedly with then-President Donald Trump; over Trump and Fauci in the White House in March 2020
“You’re basically ignoring a vaccine,” he said.
‘So you’re ignoring a variable.
“You reject vaccine restraint. It comes from the gobbledygook you give us.
“You don’t pay attention to science. The very basic science is that previous infections provide the level of immunity
‘If you ignore that in your studies, if you don’t present that in your committees, you are not being fair or honest with us.’
Then Fauci delivered what could have been a mic drop moment had it not been for both fighters to have mics and if Paul had dropped one, Paul would have been able to speak undisputedly.
“Senator, if I may respond,” he said. ‘I have never. once denied basic immunology. In fact, I wrote the chapter in the medical textbook on basic immunology.”
Paul went on for a while, until Senator Bob Casey, who presided over the hearing and presumably remembered it had something to do with monkey pox, intervened.
‘Let’s go, let’s move on. We’re out of time. Senator Paul, it’s over,” he said. “Everyone’s a little over.”
That left one last little bit of business. Casey ruled that Paul’s music video was “out of order” – as are all videos.