When Fauci lied to congress about not funding gain-of-function research, I bet he was hoping this bit would save him if an attempt was made to ever hold him accountable.
If research was for developing a vaccine, it wasn't considered gain-of-function for the purpose of funding/approval decisions. Rand Paul didn't ask Fauci if it was gain-of-function for the narrow purpose of funding decisions, he asked if it was gain-of-function.
Of course that's intended for things like modifying it to infect chicken eggs better for actually manufacturing a vaccine. Creating a brand new virus to see if they can make it spread so fast no traditional vaccine can be made in time isn't "associated with developing and producing vaccines" except to a modern day Mengele.
When Fauci lied to congress about not funding gain-of-function research, I bet he was hoping this bit would save him if an attempt was made to ever hold him accountable.
If research was for developing a vaccine, it wasn't considered gain-of-function for the purpose of funding/approval decisions. Rand Paul didn't ask Fauci if it was gain-of-function for the narrow purpose of funding decisions, he asked if it was gain-of-function.
Of course that's intended for things like modifying it to infect chicken eggs better for actually manufacturing a vaccine. Creating a brand new virus to see if they can make it spread so fast no traditional vaccine can be made in time isn't "associated with developing and producing vaccines" except to a modern day Mengele.