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Fact check: Article falsely claims Fauci said COVID-19 vaccines are not working as advertised

McKenzie Sadeghi
USA TODAY

The claim: Fauci admits COVID-19 vaccines are not working as advertised

Health experts are warning of a potential surge in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations this winter due to a combination of factors including colder weather, new variants and waning immunity.

In order to prevent another wave of the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has consistently encouraged unvaccinated people to get a shot and promoted booster doses for those who are vaccinated.

But an article making the rounds on social media claims the nation’s top infectious disease expert recently changed his stance on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. 

“Dr. Fauci Admits Vaccines Did Not Work as Advertised and that Vaccinated Are in Great Danger Today,” reads the headline of a Nov. 14 article from the Gateway Pundit that accumulated more than 12,000 Facebook shares within a day. 

Jim Hoft, the author of the post, asserts Fauci's solution to "ineffective vaccines" is to promote more shots. “When will this end?” Hoft wrote, citing a Nov. 12 article from Best Life magazine about Fauci's comments on the current situation of the pandemic in the U.S. 

While Fauci recently warned of waning immunity in vaccinated people, that doesn't mean COVID-19 vaccines haven't been effective, as the article claims. Health officials have discussed the need for booster shots since the early stages of the U.S. vaccine rollout as protection can diminish over time. 

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Hoft did not return a request for comment. 

Fauci's interview misconstrued

The article's false claim stems from comments Fauci made during a Nov. 12 interview with The New York Times' "The Daily" podcast, in which he discussed waning immunity, breakthrough infections and the importance of COVID-19 booster shots. 

During the interview, Fauci also noted booster shots are "safe and effective" in increasing immune response, and they reverse the waning effect seen in people who have been vaccinated for six or more months. 

But at no point in the episode did Fauci "admit" vaccines are not working as advertised. He pointed to countries that are ahead of the U.S. such as Israel, which is seeing a waning of immunity against COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations and, in some cases, death.

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"I think it would be a misrepresentation, Michael, to say that the vaccines don’t work," Fauci said. "I don’t think we’ve given that the full rein to prove what it is that you need to make them work." He said that "boosters will be an essential part of the protection." 

Booster shots are not proof of ineffective vaccines

The Gateway Pundit article claims Fauci is only now promoting booster shots because the initial COVID-19 vaccines aren’t working, but Fauci warned as early as April that people would need a booster within 12 months of vaccination due to new variants and short-term protection levels.

Results from clinical trials for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed the shots were effective in preventing COVID-19 for up to six months following the second dose. Meanwhile, data on Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine showed immune response for at least eight months.

Because the effectiveness of the three COVID-19 vaccines can decrease with time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration recommended and authorized booster shots for certain populations following six months of initial vaccination to provide additional immunity. 

But booster shots are not a sign that vaccines aren’t effective.

Health experts and a number of studies say the COVID-19 vaccines have provided strong levels of protection against hospitalizations, severe infections and deaths. A CDC study found unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those who are vaccinated. 

The CDC says the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster shots are the same formulation as the original vaccines, while the Moderna booster is given as a half dose. Data shows a third dose increases immunity against COVID-19, and experts previously told USA TODAY it’s normal for vaccines to require a booster months after the initial shot. 

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In a July interview with CNBC, Fauci said discussions surrounding booster shots “have absolutely nothing to do with the effectiveness of the vaccine.” More recently, he told WTOP that getting unvaccinated Americans to get a COVID-19 shot and "answering their valid questions" about vaccines is still a goal when it comes to stopping the spread of the virus. 

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that Fauci said COVID-19 vaccines are not working as advertised. Fauci said health officials are beginning to see waning immunity against hospitalizations and infections, but it would be a "misrepresentation" to say vaccines aren't working. He stressed the importance of booster shots to increase levels of immunity as vaccine protection fades over time. Experts say boosters are not evidence of failed vaccines, and studies show a third dose is effective in reducing the risk of severe illnesses and hospitalizations. 

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