Fauci Says He Will Take New Pfizer Vaccine if FDA Approves It

U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said he will take Pfizer Inc's new coronavirus vaccine if the Food and Drug Administration approves it and that he has confidence in the company and the government agency.

Asked on MSNBC if he would take the vaccine, Fauci said: "I'm going to look at the data, but I trust Pfizer. I trust the FDA. These are colleagues of mine for decades, the career scientists. If they look at this data, and they say this data is solid, let's go ahead and approve it, I promise you, I will take the vaccine, and I will recommend that my family take the vaccine." 

Fauci also told his interviewer, Andrea Mitchell, that he "hopes" that National Institutes of Health chief Francis Collins is not under pressure to fire him.

"I don't think that would be helpful to the common goal of all of us, no matter who you are, regardless of administration. We all want this pandemic to end. My entire activity, every minute of my life right now is devoted to trying to end this pandemic, so I would hope that I'm allowed to continue to do that because I think I do it well. I've been doing it for many, many years, and I've done it under many different circumstances including six administrations."

This report contains material from Reuters.