Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is predicting the United States will ultimately leave the decision to receive a vaccine for COVID-19 up to the individual.
During a live-streamed interview with Healthline, Fauci was asked if he foresees the vaccine being mandated for any population, including children who go to school.
āI donāt think youāll ever see a mandating of vaccine particularly for the general public,ā Fauci said.
He added, āSometimes in the health sector, like in my hospital here at NIH, youāre not going to be allowed to go on the ward unless you get a flu vaccine. But, you would never mandate, at least I do not think you would, Iād be pretty surprised if you mandated it for any element of the general public.ā
Watch his comments below:
Fauci noted patients have every right to refuse a vaccine.
āIf someone refuses the vaccine in the general public, then thereās nothing you can do about that. You cannot force someone to take a vaccine,ā Fauci said.
His comments come just days after Russian President Vladamir Putin announced his country had registered the worldās first coronavirus vaccine.
During a National Geographic panel discussion on Wednesday, Fauci expressed his concerns with Russiaās announcement, as IJR previously reported.
While Fauci said he hopes āthat the Russians have actually, definitively proven that the vaccine is safe and effective,ā he āseriouslyā doubts they have.
When pressed about the vaccine, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar stressed it is not about being first, as IJR previously reported.
He said, āThe point is to have a vaccine that is safe and effective for the American people and the people of the world.ā
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for an end to āvaccine nationalismā on Tuesday.
He claimed the pandemic is only getting worse as countries prioritize their interest in acquiring a vaccine over others.