COVID-19: Top US doctor Fauci calls vaccination 'glimmer of hope' amid deadly pandemic

US' top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci on January 3 called the coronavirus vaccinations a 'glimmer of hope' as the US inoculated close to 4 million with BioNtech co-manufactured Pfizer shot. Speaking at a live televised interview on ABC’s “This Week”, Fauci acknowledged the US mass vaccination campaign efforts that started slower-than-expected, adding that the Biden administration plans to administer that jabs to an additional 100 million population within first 100 days in office in an encouraging report.

Furthermore, Fauci dismissed President Donald Trump’s false claims that the COVID related fatalities in the US had drastically 'reduced'. “All you need to do is go into the trenches, go into the hospitals, go into the intensive care units, and see what is happening. Those are real numbers, real people and real deaths,” AP quoted his statement made on NBC’s Meet the Press.

America's top infectious disease experts made remarks as the US recorded  350,000 fatalities as of January 3 from the coronavirus complications with a record number of hospitalizations. Across several states, the morgue services were pushed to the brink with an onslaught of COVID-19 patients' dead bodies. As the US scrambled to administer an additional  1.5 million doses 72 hours after Fauci's interview, the health expert lauded the nation's average 500,000 per day vaccination mark. 

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[A woman receives a coronavirus vaccine from medical staff at a COVID-19 vaccination center. AP Photo/Oded Balilty]

Biden's 100 days a 'realistic goal'

Speaking about the US failing to achieve its 20 million vaccine doses threshold by December end, Fauci said: “There have been a couple of glitches. That’s understandable. We are not where we want to be, there’s no doubt about that.” AP further quoted him saying that "Biden’s goal of vaccinating 100 million people in the first 100 days is a realistic goal."

Last week, the US witnessed record-high COVID-19 cases within the last 24 hours that pushed the hospitals across states to maximum capacity. As the COVID-19 hospitalizations soared, more than 90 percent of ICU beds were occupied, according to the data released by the US Department of Health and Human Services. "This is a record in newly reported cases. We are certainly in the surge after Christmas travel and gatherings. As we enter this new year, our first resolution should be to follow guidelines. We all must do our part,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted.

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