Doctor Fauci Criticises UK for Approving Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine Ahead of US

LONDON (Sputnik) - Anthony Fauci, the expert leading the COVID-19 response in the United States, said on Thursday that the UK "did not do it as carefully" as the US regulator to approve the rollout of the vaccine candidate developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German firm BioNTech.

According to the US government's leading infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, the way the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) works is the correct way, because "if you go quickly, and you do it superficially, people are not going to want to get vaccinated".

"The UK did not do it as carefully. They got a couple of days ahead. I don’t think that makes much difference, [because] we'll be there very soon", Fauci told the Fox News broadcaster when asked to comment on UK approving the vaccine earlier than the US, thus causing potential frustration among the US public.

Vials with a sticker reading, "COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only" and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020

© REUTERS / DADO RUVIC

He said that the FDA scrutinised the data very carefully to guarantee the US public that the vaccine is safe and effective.

"I think if we did any less we would add to the already existing hesitancy on the part of many people to take the vaccine because they are concerned about safety or they are concerned that we went too quickly", Fauci said.

After becoming the first country in the world to approve the US-German vaccine candidate, the UK authorities announced on Wednesday that the immunisation campaign will begin as early as next week.

Other countries, including Russia, have also developed vaccines. Russian President Vladimir Putin, also on Wednesday, ordered his government to begin a large-scale vaccine campaign next week.