FAUCI DIARY ARCHIVE — Thursday, September 23, 2021
https://faucisdiary.com/diary/2021-09-23

Text below is verbatim from the released PDFs, with the original line breaks.
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DIARY ENTRY — Thursday, September 23, 2021
Source: Tony's Diary Package, pp. 883–884 of 2026.07.24_Tonys-Diary-Package.pdf
Words: 690
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Highly eventful day!!! Today was the day that the acip would make their recommendation to
the CDC regarding the use of boosters. Inexplicably, they voted to allow boosters for people 65
years of age or older, which is fine, as well as those from 18 to 64 with underlying conditions
leading to severe disease, which is fine . However, they rejected the proposal to give boosters to
people who by occupational or institutional exposure would find themselves at high risk for
infection. There was absolutely no reason at all to do this since that would mean that a 25 year
old person who was obese would get a booster, but a 55 year old school teacher or a 55 year old
intensive care nurse could not get a boost. The rationale for the acip was completely
discombobulated. It had nothing to do with safety since they were talking about policy that was
unrelated to the scientific issues at hand . They got distracted and began talking about what they
were going to do with people who had Moderna as their primary regimen or J&J as their primary
regimen, avoiding the fundamental scientific and public health question at hand. When I heard
this we began a series of phone calls, multiple phone calls, among me, Leslie Dach, Jeff, and
Vivek – all outrages by the recommendation. I texted Rochelle and I begged her to call me in
order that I could explain to her how this would be a fatal mistake if she took the
recommendation of the acip since none of us would be able to defend this. It was a very dramatic
situation where she was in with the secretary and I was texting her late in the evening to please
call me so that I can tell her what I feel she must do. Jeff and Courtney Rowe and Ian Sams were
suggesting that I call up the secretary and give him my opinion. Things were getting very dicey
since the hours were going by and no decision was made. I finally got a chance to speak with
Rochelle and literally begged her to override that decision which was only a 9 to 6 decision and
not an overwhelming unanimous recommendation. The tweets that were coming in when they
heard of the recommendation of the acip were absolutely overwhelmingly against that decision.
Yet Rochelle still felt she could not go against her committee. I pleaded with her over the phone
telling her that I would absolutely strongly defend her publicly if she made allowance for
teachers and healthcare workers to get vaccinated even though they were healthy. Again, she
seemed hesitant to overrule them. Jeff called me multiple times asking me to call the secretary

myself. I felt that I could not do this since it would be totally destroying Rochelle if I did that. I
explained to Rochelle that if she does not do that she would be forever branded as someone with
no leadership capabilities at all and if she did overrule them she could turn lemons into lemonade
because she could reclaim her role as a leader since her reputation is one of unfortunately being a
very weak leader. I am dictating this at 10:00 PM on September the 23rd and she still has not
made her decision. I told her that I would be available all evening and the rest of the night if she
wanted to talk. The whole team in the department and the White House is counting on my
influence on her to get her to do the right thing here. I cannot understand why she is so reluctant
to go against a 9 to 6 recommendation when the recommendation is so blatantly incorrect.

Good thing happened tonight - I received the 2021 Bill Foege Award for Global health
together with Carlos Del Rio and Kati Kariko. This was followed by a very enjoyable fireside
chat with Bill. He is one of the true icons in public health and it was an honor to be talking to
him

PRESS: ABC ONLINE Town Hall with Jennifer Ashston; Irish Radio RTE “This Week”;