Heated Exchange between Sen. Rand Paul & Dr. Anthony Fauci on Vaccines and Royalties
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Sen. Rand Paul: "If I give you ten, or if I give a patient ten mRNA vaccines, and they make protein each time or them make antibody each time, is that proof that we should give ten boosters?"
Dr. Anthony Fauci: "No. I think that is somewhat of an absurd exaggeration."
Later in the exchange,
Sen. Rand Paul: "Everybody on the vaccine committee, have any of them ever received money from the people who make vaccines? Can you tell me that?"
Dr. Anthony Fauci: "Are you going to let me answer a question? Soundbite number one. Are you going to let me answer a question?"
Changing the topic, the senator questioned Fauci about the National Institutes of Health’s lack of transparency on the royalty payments its scientists are receiving from private companies.
“Over the period of time from 2010 to 2016, 27,000 royalty payments were paid to 1,800 NIH employees,” he said, citing a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the federal government on the matter.
Paul pointed out that the scientists in question have been redacted in NIH documents, preventing the public from knowing which government scientists have financial interests in private drug companies.
“Over $193 million was given to these … 1,800 employees,” he said. “Can you tell me that you have not received a royalty from any entity that you ever oversaw the distribution of money in research grants?”
“You know, I don’t know as a fact, but I doubt it,” Fauci said after Paul pressed him for a clear answer.
When the senator responded by demanding Fauci provide documents on his royalty income, the doctor lost his patience.
“Are you going to let me answer a question? Soundbite number one?” he said.
Fauci cited federal regulations that don’t require employees to list royalties they’ve received for drugs they created on their financial disclosure forms.
However, he admitted he had received personal royalties from 2015 to 2020 averaging $191.46 per year.
“It’s all redacted and you can’t get any information on the 1,800 scientists [who have received royalties],” argued Paul, demanding more NIH transparency on the matter.
