Dr. Anthony Fauci has detailed his long career by leading the United States through multiple health crises in his role as director of the National Institute of Infectious Allergies and Diseases and highlighted the importance of confidence in science as part of the Distinguished Carlson Reading Series.
Fauci, the first doctor to speak in the series of conferences, was initially speaking in October. The conference was canceled due to Occupation of Morrill Hall.
Fauci said that in a tumultuous political climate, the most important thing to make is to trust scientific data and to understand that science is not political. Social media and the propagation of disinformation have created a general lack of confidence in science.
Three people died of measles this year, which is the most death in measles that the country has had in 25 years, said Fauci. This is the direct result of a lack of confidence in vaccines, even if the measles vaccine has proven to be effective at 97% after two doses.
“At the time, the data clearly shown that the photo was effective and people accepted it because there was no contrary feeling which is now distributed by social media,” said Fauci. “So when someone arrives with a conspiracy theory that says that measles causes autism when countless studies show that this is not the case, it falls into an echo room of people who believe that it is correct.”
Fauci said that if the Americans continue the tendency not to vaccination themselves or their children, illnesses previously eradicated in the United States, such as tuberculosis or HIV / AIDS, could return.
“If we are not controlling diseases outside the United States, they will probably affect us here,” said Fauci. “We may have exacerbated tuberculosis or we may have drug -resistant bacteria. We will certainly have a resurgence of HIV if we cut ourselves from the World Health Organization. ”
Fauci said that organizations as well as the United States to remain vigilant about the current state of diseases such as HIV / AIDS.
“It is for our own advantage of protecting us from diseases,” said Fauci.
Throughout the conference, Fauci remained bipartite and spoke of her work with liberal and conservative administrations. He said scientific data is not political.
“There is no room for public health policy,” said Fauci.
Fauci developed a foreign aid program in 2003 aimed at putting an end to the HIV / AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa under the administration of George W. Bush called the United States President’s Emergency Plan for the relief of AIDS. The program provides underdeveloped areas, including southern Africa, with antiviral drugs to prevent the spread of HIV / AIDS.
Pepfar has saved more than 26 million lives since its creation, according to the United Nations.
During the conference, Fauci said that the main theme of his career is to expect the unexpected, because he advised seven presidents on infectious diseases ranging from HIV / AIDS in the 80s and 90s to COVID-19 in 2020.
He also discussed the COVVI-19 response from the United States and what could have been done to improve it.
Fauci said that he and other scientists and government representatives could have done a better job by explaining how science evolves as new information and discoveries are presented.
“At the time, the recommendations were based on knowledge as we knew them, and the thing that we must express better is that science is a process that brings together information, data and evidence to allow you at a given time to make a recommendation or a directive,” said Fauci. “If you are dealing with a motion target and information changes, the science process is self-corp.”
Although programs like USAID, GAVI, the Alliance vaccine and the PEPFAR are likely to be funded by the Trump administration, FAUCI has encouraged current university students interested in public health and the public service to continue these careers.
“It is always worth going to this extraordinary area of public health because the end of your product is not a car or a computer,” said Fauci. “It’s a human life, and it’s the thing for me that is worth resolving it through difficult moments because it will pass.”