Fauci says he expects more COVID vaccine approvals in coming weeks

FILE PHOTO: Top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci responds to accusations by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) as he testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Capitol hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 20, 2021. J. Scott Applewhite/Pool via REUTERS

WASHINGTON — Further full U.S. approvals for COVID-19 vaccines could come within weeks, with separate approval for children under 12 as soon as mid-autumn, the nation’s top infectious disease official said on Tuesday, one day after Pfizer-BioNTech won wider FDA approval for its shot.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s top medical officer and the head of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told MSNBC he expects Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to secure full Food and Drug Administration approval relatively soon, possibly within several weeks to one month.

“I think there’s a reasonable chance” that Pfizer or Moderna could get FDA approval for younger children before the upcoming holiday season, he told NBC News’ “Today” program. “Hopefully by the mid-late fall and early winter.”