WASHINGTON - Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday clarified the U.S. will "go by the science" from its own clinical trials and continue administering second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines within the recommended timeframe, despite a new study from AstraZeneca that could support lengthening the window.
Speaking at a COVID-19 briefing, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert dismissed deliberately delaying second shots of the approved Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
The U.K. has implemented a contentious strategy of delaying the second shot so it can protect more people quickly with a first dose — a decision that has been criticized as risky by other European countries.Pfizer recommends that its shots be given 21 days.