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Added on the 16/11/2020 17:13:13 - Copyright : Wochit
Alex Edelman / AFP via Getty Images Dr. Anthony Fauci said that it could take up to 90% of the US population to get vaccinated to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus. "We really don't know what the real number is," Fauci said in an interview with The New York Times. "I think the real range is somewhere between 70 to 90 percent. But, I'm not going to say 90 percent." This month, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized both Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for emergency use which have been rolled out across the country.
Radiologist Dr. Scott Atlas has no qualifications or experience in public health, epidemiology, or infectious diseases. A top adviser to President Donald Trump on the coronavirus pandemic, Atlas advocates a controversial 'herd immunity' approach. In a recent interview, Atlas blasted lockdowns as 'an epic failure of public policy,' and that they were 'killing people.' Atlas made the remarks on RT, a Kremlin-backed platform that last year a team of US lawmakers said uses YouTube as its 'propaganda vehicle of choice.' In the past, Atlas has been accused of spreading disinformation and false information surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. The radiologist apologized for his appearance on RT, tweeting he was unaware RT was registered as a foreign agent in the US.
Dr. Anthony Fauci had previously said it could take up to 90% of the US population to get vaccinated to reach herd immunity against the coronavirus. But on Sunday, he clarified his 'guesstimate' downwards to 70 to 85% of the population. Business Insider reports Fauci admitted on CNN's 'State of the Union' that 'we all have to be honest and humble, nobody really knows for sure.' This month, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized both Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. Healthcare professionals and frontline workers across the country have been getting vaccinations since the vaccine rollouts.
Dr. Anthony Fauci is in hot water with the White House for speaking out in an interview, published Saturday, about the state of COVID-19 cases in the US. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned that the US needed to make an 'abrupt change' in its handling of the pandemic. White House spokesperson Judd Deere sternly rebuked Fauci for making 'his political leanings known by praising the president's opponent.' Business Insider reports that for the first time since the outset of the pandemic, the US logged nearly 100,000 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day. President Donald Trump has continued to falsely blame the rise in cases on a rise in testing--and media coverage.
A relative handful of Americans have received the vaccine to protect against the novel coronavirus. But according to HuffPost, it's unclear if those lucky few can still pass along the virus to others, even if they themselves aren't infected. Likewise, it's important to remember that even after getting the jab, it takes the body at least a month to build up its immunity to COVID-19. Therefore, it's essential to continue following proven public health measures, like universal masking, handwashing, and physical distancing. Experts say Americans shouldn't start to relax on observing these measures until roughly 70% of the population has been vaccinated.