Pouch: "Even with COVID-19 Treatments, Vaccines Are Essential"

▲Anthony Fauci, Director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Amid the good news about oral treatments related to COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading authority on infectious diseases in the United States, stated that vaccines are still necessary even if these drugs are approved.

On the 3rd (local time), Dr. Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), appeared on ABC News and responded to the question, "If a treatment is approved, does that mean vaccines are unnecessary?" by saying, "Definitely not," and added, "It is completely wrong to say, 'Now you have the drug'."

Earlier, U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck & Company (MSD) announced on the 1st that their oral antiviral treatment, Molnupiravir, reduced the risk of hospitalization by about 50% in a Phase 3 clinical trial involving 775 COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms within five days of infection, proving effective for COVID-19 treatment.

MSD reported that only 7.3% of those who took the drug were hospitalized due to COVID-19 within 29 days, compared to 14.1% of those who took a placebo who were hospitalized or died. Additionally, no deaths occurred among those who took the drug, while eight deaths were reported in the placebo group.

Accordingly, MSD stated that it would apply for emergency approval of the drug with U.S. authorities.

Director Fauci emphasized again, "Remember, the easiest way to avoid going to the hospital and dying is not to get infected," and said, "The idea that 'we have the drug, so we don't need to get vaccinated' makes no sense at all."

He also mentioned that many deaths could have been avoided if people had been vaccinated, stating, "When you look at those hospitalized and dying, the vast majority are unvaccinated."

Dr. Fauci had previously said on the 1st that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would review the emergency use authorization as quickly as possible following the news of MSD's treatment trial results.

Meanwhile, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the number of COVID-19 deaths in the United States exceeded 700,000 as of the previous day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.