Dr. Fauci: U.S. May Reach Herd Immunity by Fall

NEW YORK
Dr. Anthony Fauci listens as President Joe Biden speaks in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted enough people in the United States could be vaccinated within months for the country to achieve herd immunity, and that by late summer or early fall there will be a return to normalcy.

He estimated 75-80% of American residents could be fully vaccinated by that time, and restrictions could be eased almost entirely, WCBS 880 reported.

Fauci and other government officials have expressed confidence that children and teenagers would be eligible for vaccination in the fall, and that the school year would start fully in-person in September.

“You don’t have to wait until you get full herd immunity to get a really profound effect on what you can do,” Dr. Fauci said.

He warned it was imperative for as many people to be vaccinated as soon as possible, warning that if a minority of people remain hesitant, they could jeopardize herd immunity for the entire country.

“If a significant number of people do not get vaccinated then that would delay when we would get to that end point,” said Fauci.

Roughly 10% of the population is fully vaccinated and roughly 20% has had at least one shot, with the country averaging more than 2 million shots a day.

The Biden administration has purchased millions of shots to be delivered by the summer, enough to cover every American adult and child.

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smarcus@hamodia.com 

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