Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci was blasted for remarks that seemed to criticize the U.K.’s vaccine approval process — and apologized Thursday for the comments.
In an interview with the BBC, Fauci declared he had “a great deal of confidence in what the U.K. does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint.”
The U.K. on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine for the coronavirus — and Fauci told Fox News the review of the vaccine wasn’t done “as carefully" as the Food and Drug Administration.
He later told CBS News the U.K. approval had been "rushed.”
The blowback prompted a switch in gears the next day, when Fauci insisted there was "no judgment on the way the U.K. did it.”
"Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the U.K. And that's just the reality," Dr Fauci told the BBC. "I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way."
Fauci had described the FDA’s approval process as the "gold standard.” But in his mea culpa, he clarified himself, saying the United States does "things a little differently" than the U.K.
"That's all," he said. "Not better, not worse, just differently."
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