Fauci on Vaccine Hestitation: ‘The 70% ... Was an Aspirational Goal But It Was Never the Endgame’

MASON We re joined ░░░░░░░░ by Dr Anthony Fauci ░░░░░░░░ Biden s chief medical ░░░░░░░░ Dr Fauci good morning ░░░░░░░░ for being with us ░░░░░░░░ Good morning Anthony And ░░░░░░░░ birthday MASON Thank you ░░░░░░░░ much Dr Fauci as ░░░░░░░░ just heard Omar report ░░░░░░░░ Delta variant now accounts ░░░░░░░░ nearly half of all ░░░░░░░░ cases across ten states ░░░░░░░░ is this the most ░░░░░░░░ variant we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ far FAUCI Well it ░░░░░░░░ much more efficiently than ░░░░░░░░ virus that we ve ░░░░░░░░ used to over the ░░░░░░░░ self months to a ░░░░░░░░ And also data from ░░░░░░░░ U K indicate that ░░░░░░░░ also is more dangerous ░░░░░░░░ that it makes you ░░░░░░░░ seriously ill So the ░░░░░░░░ of a virus that ░░░░░░░░ more rapidly and has ░░░░░░░░ potential to make you ░░░░░░░░ seriously ill is a ░░░░░░░░ we have to worry ░░░░░░░░ That s the concern ░░░░░░░░ unvaccinated people The good ░░░░░░░░ is that the vaccine ░░░░░░░░ against it And that ░░░░░░░░ really another very powerful ░░░░░░░░ why we want people ░░░░░░░░ get vaccinated because this ░░░░░░░░ a threat It is ░░░░░░░░ well over 90 percent ░░░░░░░░ the isolates in the ░░░░░░░░ K are this delta ░░░░░░░░ which is causing them ░░░░░░░░ considerable problem MASON So ░░░░░░░░ re expecting this to ░░░░░░░░ the dominant strain in ░░░░░░░░ matter of weeks FAUCI ░░░░░░░░ will be the dominant ░░░░░░░░ among those areas those ░░░░░░░░ of the country where ░░░░░░░░ vaccination rate is lower ░░░░░░░░ we would like For ░░░░░░░░ areas where you have ░░░░░░░░ high vaccination rate you ░░░░░░░░ not going to see ░░░░░░░░ Again another powerful reason ░░░░░░░░ we need to get ░░░░░░░░ HOST Dr Fauci why ░░░░░░░░ you think the messaging ░░░░░░░░ you and this White ░░░░░░░░ administration wasn t able ░░░░░░░░ get us to that ░░░░░░░░ percent threshold FAUCI You ░░░░░░░░ I think we ve ░░░░░░░░ to be careful because ░░░░░░░░ ve done extremely well ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ by the Fourth of ░░░░░░░░ by I don t ░░░░░░░░ 67 68 percent That ░░░░░░░░ really good The 70 ░░░░░░░░ aspirational goal by the ░░░░░░░░ of July to get ░░░░░░░░ with one single dose ░░░░░░░░ get 70 percent of ░░░░░░░░ least one dose was ░░░░░░░░ aspirational goal but it ░░░░░░░░ never the end game ░░░░░░░░ mean we want to ░░░░░░░░ right through July 4th ░░░░░░░░ the summer continuing to ░░░░░░░░ people vaccinated So the ░░░░░░░░ that we not quite ░░░░░░░░ the 70 number by ░░░░░░░░ Fourth of July I ░░░░░░░░ t make that much ░░░░░░░░ that because we still ░░░░░░░░ done extremely well We ░░░░░░░░ over 50 percent of ░░░░░░░░ adult population completely vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ about 65 percent of ░░░░░░░░ adult population having received ░░░░░░░░ least one dose And ░░░░░░░░ re doing very well ░░░░░░░░ the elderly More than ░░░░░░░░ percent of the elderly ░░░░░░░░ been vaccinated with at ░░░░░░░░ one dose So we ░░░░░░░░ done well So we ░░░░░░░░ t want to fixate ░░░░░░░░ we re a couple ░░░░░░░░ percentage points lower than ░░░░░░░░ would have liked to ░░░░░░░░ been on the Fourth ░░░░░░░░ July but we re ░░░░░░░░ to be really close ░░░░░░░░ that MASON Dr Fauci ░░░░░░░░ m curious do we ░░░░░░░░ yet whether kids 12 ░░░░░░░░ under are more susceptible ░░░░░░░░ this Delta variant FAUCI ░░░░░░░░ know I don t ░░░░░░░░ you can say they ░░░░░░░░ more susceptible but when ░░░░░░░░ do have a virus ░░░░░░░░ is much better a ░░░░░░░░ children are clearly going ░░░░░░░░ get more likely infected ░░░░░░░░ they would have with ░░░░░░░░ original for example the ░░░░░░░░ variant So it isn ░░░░░░░░ that they are more ░░░░░░░░ but this virus is ░░░░░░░░ more transmissible virus MASON ░░░░░░░░ FAUCI Therefore children will ░░░░░░░░ likely get infected with ░░░░░░░░ than they would with ░░░░░░░░ alpha variant MASON All ░░░░░░░░ Dr Anthony Fauci thanks ░░░░░░░░ much for being with ░░░░░░░░ this morning We do ░░░░░░░░ it FAUCI Thank you ░░░░░░░░ to be with you.”