Biden's 'pandemic of the unvaccinated' narrative falls apart as omicron cases skyrocket
Vaccinated people 'do not spread the disease,' Biden said last month
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}For months, President Biden has characterized the continued spread of the coronavirus as a "pandemic of the unvaccinated" and repeatedly claimed that vaccinated people cannot spread the virus, contradicting what his own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been saying since at least April.
"This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated," the president told Ohio’s WHIO TV 7 on Dec. 14. "The unvaccinated. Not the vaccinated, the unvaccinated. That’s the problem. Everybody talks about freedom and not to have a shot or have a test. Well guess what? How about patriotism? How about making sure that you’re vaccinated, so you do not spread the disease to anyone else."
US SETS NEW DAILY RECORD FOR COVID CASES
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden during a virtual meeting about reducing the costs of meat at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Jan. 3, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)
But the CDC has been warning about breakthrough COVID-19 infections for the better part of 2021, issuing an update in April that said, "People can still get sick and possibly spread COVID-19 to others after being fully vaccinated."
During the outbreak of the delta variant over the summer, the CDC updated its guidance for fully vaccinated people, saying they should wear masks in crowded indoor areas because of the high transmissibility of the variant. While the COVID-19 vaccines can prevent severe illness, hospitalizations and death, breakthrough infections still can and do occur, the CDC said.
"Infections in fully vaccinated people (breakthrough infections) happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, even with the Delta variant," the July 27 guidance said. "However, preliminary evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people who do become infected with the Delta variant can be infectious and can spread the virus to others."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The same is true, or maybe even more so, with the new omicron variant, which is even more transmissible than the delta variant. An ABC News analysis last month of federal and state data revealed that there has been an acceleration of the number of breakthrough coronavirus cases since July.
"CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms," the CDC said Dec. 20.
Despite the agency clearly stating since at least April that the virus can spread among vaccinated individuals, Biden has repeatedly tried to assign blame to unvaccinated people for the ongoing pandemic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden speaks during a meeting with his administration's Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and private sector CEOs in the South Court Auditorium of the White House Dec. 22, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
On Nov. 3, Biden urged Americans to get their children vaccinated to "stop the spread" and "help us beat this pandemic."
On Oct. 7, while defending his vaccine mandate on health care workers, Biden claimed that vaccinated workers "are protected from COVID and cannot spread it to you."
On Sept. 9, the president spoke directly to unvaccinated Americans and said, "We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Aug. 23, the president said, "the pandemic of the unvaccinated is a tragedy that is preventable."
During a July 21 CNN town hall, he said, "You’re not going to get COVID if you have these vaccinations."
On July 16, two weeks after celebrating America’s near "independence" from the coronavirus, Biden said, "The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, the U.S. recorded its record number of COVID-19 cases for a single day on Monday, almost doubling the previous record of about 590,000 set just four days earlier. This, despite 73% of the U.S. population being at least partially vaccinated and 62% fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
Notably, the surge in cases has not translated into skyrocketing deaths, though hospitalizations are currently on the rise.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the daily press briefing at the White House on Dec. 1, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Biden isn’t the only one giving conflicting advice from the administration. On Aug. 15, Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC that "vaccines prevent getting infected, prevent getting sick, prevent your hospitalization," while advocating against people forgoing the vaccine in favor of receiving monoclonal antibody treatment after infection.
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"I'd rather not get infected than get infected and have to be treated for it," Fauci said at the time.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.