Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci sounded off on Gen. Colin Powell dying of complications from a reported breakthrough case of COVID-19.
Co-host Willie Geist asked Fauci what he would tell people who argue Powell’s death shows the coronavirus vaccine doesn’t work.
Fauci, noting the “extremely unusual” situation Powell was in due to age and health, said the former Secretary of State himself would tell the vaccine-hesitant to “go ahead and get vaccinated.”
“First of all, it was very unfortunate. General Powell was truly a great, great American, and it’s very sad that he passed away,” Fauci replied. “But, as he himself — I knew General Powell, an extraordinary man — he would tell you himself, go ahead and get vaccinated because it really is a highly protective — his case was extremely unusual. Here’s a man who is in his mid-80s, who had a disease that makes your immune system highly compromised. He was on therapy that further compromises the immune system. So, he was at a much, much higher risk. I don’t think you should extrapolate that to people in general, even elderly people. He got vaccinated.”
He continued, “It would have been nice if he got the booster, but he didn’t get the opportunity to get the booster, but General Powell’s situation is really a bit unique with regard to the fact that he was significantly immunocompromised, which really changes the situation when you talk about the ability of a vaccine to protect you when your own immune system is significantly compromised, superimposed upon the fact that you are an elderly individual.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent