Pouchi "Next Variant More Dangerous Than Delta... Booster Shots Needed for Some Groups"

WHO's Request to Postpone Booster Shots Until September Effectively Rejected
US Daily New Cases Near 100,000
"Daily New Infections Could Reach 200,000"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), warned of the possibility of an ultra-strong variant of the COVID-19 virus emerging. Despite requests from the World Health Organization (WHO), he also announced plans to administer booster shots starting with immunocompromised groups.

In an interview on the 5th (local time), Dr. Fauci predicted, "A new variant could be more dangerous than the Delta variant, which has 1,000 times more viral load compared to previous strains, potentially putting the United States in a difficult situation."

Fauci stated, "If we give the virus a chance, another variant will emerge. This is why we aim to completely suppress the virus in communities," urging vaccination. He pointed out that about 93 million people have not yet been vaccinated.

Fauci also estimated that there could be 100,000 to 200,000 new infections per day.

According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, as of the 4th, the United States is experiencing an average of 94,000 new infections per week. This represents a 48% increase compared to the previous week. A major foreign news outlet reported that new infections exceeded 100,000 on the 4th.

Along with the spread of new COVID-19 infections caused by the Delta variant, vaccinations are also increasing. According to the White House, 860,000 people were vaccinated within 24 hours, marking the largest scale since July.

At the White House COVID-19 response team press conference that day, Dr. Fauci said, "It is very important to administer booster shots to immunocompromised individuals. They may not be sufficiently protected by just two doses."

At the press briefing, Fauci emphasized, "Providing boosters to these individuals is very important," adding, "People with weakened immune systems may not be adequately protected by existing COVID-19 vaccines."

Earlier, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged, "All countries should postpone booster shots until at least the end of September to ensure that 10% of their populations can be vaccinated." Subsequently, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki criticized WHO's recommendation to delay booster shots as a wrong choice.