May 20, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Fauci: If 70% of Americans get vaccinated, U.S. can avoid a fall surge

Ivana Saric

NIAID director Anthony Fauci told the Washington Post leadership summit Thursday that if 70% of Americans get at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine by July 4, the U.S. could avoid a case surge later in the year.

Why it matters: Fauci called the COVID-19 vaccine a "positive wild card" that wasn't present in the previous case upticks, but urged the U.S. to continue aggressively vaccinating its population.

What they're saying: “If we get to the president’s goal — which I believe we will attain — of getting 70 percent of people getting at least one dose, adults that is, by July 4, there will be enough protection in the community that I really don’t foresee there being the risk of a surge,” Fauci said.

He added that with vaccines that are as “highly effective as these ... you get a substantial proportion of the population vaccinated, the chances of there being a surge are extraordinarily low, I mean quite, quite low."

Of note: Earlier this month Fauci said that if the Biden administration reached its goal of vaccinating 70% of the population with at least one dose by July 4, it could turn COVID-19 surges into "blips."

Currently, 47.9% of Americans have received at least one dose, per the Post.

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Fauci: If 70% of Americans get vaccinated, U.S. can avoid a fall surge

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