From the very beginning, I was one of the people most excited about the coming COVID-19 vaccines. I have mentioned several times that I was a participant in Moderna’s Phase III trial, and the thought that I contributed to legitimate scientific advancement is one I will look upon proudly for the rest of my life.
I have been fully vaccinated since late February. Since then, I have attended large, maskless indoor gatherings, booked my first flight since the pandemic started and taken pleasure in the fact that I was no longer putting others at risk.
I had already been dining indoors for months before getting vaccinated, as real-world data from multiple states found the proportion of COVID-19 infections originating from restaurants to be very low.
However, if you listen to Dr. Anthony Fauci, I’ve been doing everything wrong — especially since being vaccinated — and I’m probably contributing to the mass murder of grandmothers everywhere.
During a Sunday interview on MSNBC’s “The Mehdi Hasan Show,” Fauci said that “No, [eating and drinking indoors is] still not OK for the simple reason that the level of infection, the dynamics of infection in the community are still really disturbingly high.”
He later furthered that “if you are vaccinated, please remember that you still have to be careful and not get involved in crowded situations — particularly indoors where people are not wearing masks.”
You can watch the full interview below. It’s unnerving to me how many people still adhere to this man’s word with religious fervor:
Fauci is at it again. “It’s still not ok for vaccinated Americans to eat and drink indoors.” pic.twitter.com/yWHTnRN18f
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 12, 2021
These recommendations also appear to contradict new messaging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which states that it is safe for vaccinated Americans to travel domestically.
According to the CDC’s new guidelines, “fully vaccinated travelers do not need to get tested before or after travel unless their destination requires it,” nor do they have to self-quarantine upon arrival at their destination.
If the replies to the Townhall tweet containing the interview are any indication, it is also clear that Fauci remains utterly ignorant of what life is like in most of the United States.
As one person tweeted, Fauci “still can’t explain why numbers in the wide open state of Texas are good yet cases in the locked down state of Michigan are up.”
And he still can’t explain why numbers in the wide open state of Texas are good yet cases in the locked down state of Michigan are up
— J. L. Steele (@JL_Steele) April 12, 2021
Furthermore, it is evident that Fauci is equally ignorant regarding the effect that his rhetoric will have on nationwide vaccination efforts. If nothing in a person’s life is supposed to change after they receive the COVID-19 vaccine, what incentive is there to get jabbed in the first place?
Contrast Fauci’s mind-boggling caution with the approach taken by Tel Aviv, Israel. The city partnered with numerous local businesses, offering specials, deals and free food to those who received their vaccine.
One bar in the city became internationally famous for its “shot-for-a-shot” approach, in which people who were vaccinated on-site could have a free non-alcoholic drink on the house.
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The result was that many Israelis who were nervous about receiving their vaccine eagerly jumped in line. After all, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and an incentive for them to pursue. Plus, businesses that struggled through lockdowns received some much-needed customer traffic.
All in all, the Middle Eastern country has had the most impressive vaccine rollout in the world. Israel has vaccinated more of its citizens than any other nation.
Considering the fact that, as of Monday, every state — even California and New York — is open to at least some extent, a similar program could be enormously successful here in the United States.
But our bureaucrats would never allow that to happen. It would simply make too much sense. Instead, we get the melodramatic pontifications of Fauci and the blindly loyal crowd of social media hypochondriacs, politicians and so-called “experts” that shadow his every step.
At this rate, it seems like the United States — at least in some places — will never go back to normal. And the blame will lie squarely on Fauci’s shoulders, the consequence of his choice of fame over duty.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
