Fauci not in favor of expanding gap between COVID-19 vaccine doses

Anthony Fauci.
(Image credit: Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images)

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States' leading infectious disease expert, told CNN on Friday that he would "not be in favor" of delaying second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to increase the amount of people who can receive their first injection.

The United Kingdom announced a plan this week that involves stretching the wait time between the first and second shots of the two coronavirus vaccines authorized in the country, including the Pfizer jab, up to 12 weeks. The thinking is that doing so will give more people at least partial protection until production ramps up.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.