Fauci: If 70% of Americans get vaccinated, U.S. can avoid a fall surge
Anthony Fauci. Photo: Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images
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.