Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fauci Reminds Rand Paul — Again — That He Didn't Start The Pandemic
The Hill: Fauci Blasts Paul For Saying He Is Responsible For COVID Pandemic
America's top infectious disease doctor Anthony Fauci on Thursday blasted Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) for suggesting he is somehow responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic."You have said I am unwilling to take any responsibility for the current pandemic. I have no responsibility for the current pandemic," Fauci said. Paul accused Fauci of misleading the public about the role the National Institutes of Health played in funding potentially dangerous "gain of function research" in Wuhan, China, and suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was the result of such research, and then was released into the world because of a lab leak. (Weixel, 11/4)
Medill News Service: Rand Paul Calls For Fauci To Resign In Latest Clash On COVID Origins
COVID-19’s origin has been a subject of global debate since the start of the outbreak. Yet scientists around the world have not reached a clear conclusion on how the pandemic started. Paul and Fauci sparred over whether the National Institutes of Health funded "gain-of-function" research, the process of altering a pathogen’s transmissibility to help predict emerging diseases, at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The COVID-19 pandemic began in Wuhan, China, and some have speculated about whether the institute there was involved in the spread of the virus. (Gans, 11/4)
In other news from the Biden administration —
Bloomberg: Biden Aide Tests Positive For Virus After Summit In Scotland
A White House aide who accompanied Joe Biden to international summits in Europe last week tested positive for coronavirus infection before the president returned to the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter. The aide and some of Biden’s other traveling staff remained in Scotland after the president attended the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow because of concern about transmission, the people said. The exact number of staff involved is unclear. (Jacobs, 11/4)
USA Today: Fact Check: Biden Comment On COVID-19 Vaccines And Hurricanes Misconstrued
With one month remaining in the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, some social media users are resurrecting a misleading clip of President Joe Biden talking about COVID-19 vaccines and preparing for natural disasters. A video circulating online of Biden delivering remarks has been shared alongside claims that he encouraged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect themselves against hurricanes. (Sadeghi, 11/3)
Axios: The New COVID Vaccine Rivals
Rival vaccine makers are trying to elbow into the massive COVID-19 market, arguing for federal funding and claiming advantages over the current choices in the U.S. There's huge remaining demand around the world, and researchers say there should be more support — including money — from the Biden administration to fill it. (Reed, 11/5)
