Anthony Fauci
Anthony FauciReuters

A day before the FDA approved booster shots against COVID for children between the ages of 5 and 12, NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted to a Senate committee that there exist no data indicating that rates of hospitalization or death from COVID are lower in a child who has received a third vaccine dose.

Fauci was being grilled by Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) at a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

“Dr. Fauci, the government recommends that everybody take a booster over age five. Are you aware of any studies that show a reduction in hospitalization or death for children who take a booster?” asked Sen. Paul.

“Right now there has not been enough data that has been accumulated, Senator Paul, to indicate that that’s the case,” Fauci replied, trying nonetheless to make the case for boosters only to be interrupted by Sen. Paul.

“Right, so there are no studies – and Americans should all know this – there are no studies on children showing a reduction in hospitalization or death with taking a booster.”

Senator Paul then noted that the only scientific support for boosting children is the fact that the booster shot creates antibodies.

“The only studies that were permitted, the only studies that were presented, were antibody studies. So they say, ‘If we give you a booster, you make antibodies. Now a lot of scientists would question whether or not that’s proof of efficacy of a vaccine,” Paul pointed out.

He then asked Fauci if ten boosters should be given, since each booster produces antibodies.

“No, I think that is somewhat of an absurd exaggeration,” answered Fauci, only for Paul to retort that this is precisely the rationale being provided by the government in its recommendation for boosters.

The senator also cited the vaccine’s risk factors, which include myocarditis and blood clots.

“So there is risk and there are risks, and you’re telling everybody in America, ‘Just blindly go out there because we made antibodies.’” pressed Sen. Paul. “So it is not an absurd corollary to say that if you have 10 – in fact, you probably make antibodies if you get a hundred boosters, all right? That’s not science, that’s conjecture, and we should not be making public policy on it.”

Fauci tried to respond by saying that there is “clear-cut clinical data” to support boosters for those over the age of forty - “But not for children,” Sen. Paul cut in again. “Here’s the thing: You’re not willing to be honest with the American people.”

“How many kids are dying and how many kids are going to the hospital who have already had COVID?” he challenged. “The answer may be zero, but you’re not even giving us the data because you have so much wanted to protect everybody from all the data because we’re not smart enough to look at the data.”

Fauci, who has been vaccinated four times, tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday.