hen Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, takes on his new role as President-elect Biden’s chief medical adviser, one of his top priorities will be reopening schools safely and getting teachers vaccinated for the coronavirus.
In a wide-ranging interview with California State University Chancellor Tim White Friday, Fauci expressed optimism for getting most of the United States’ population vaccinated and reopening schools and college campuses to in-person instruction. (Watch the full interview here.)
“The only way we’re going to end this epidemic is if we get a range of 70% to 85% of the population vaccinated,” he said. “We could essentially end this outbreak in this country … It would be tragic to think that now that we have in our hands vaccines that are 94% to 95% effective, and we don’t get as many people as we possibly can to utilize that.”
Fauci predicted that just about anyone can get vaccinated later this spring once vaccines are given to essential workers, people with underlying conditions and the elderly between now and March. By April, “I would call that more like open season, where anyone, even those who don’t have underlying conditions,” can start getting vaccinated, Fauci said.
Under those conditions, then by the Fall 2021 term, “I think we could be in good shape, and I am cautiously optimistic that we can do that and get back to some form of normality,” he said.
White hosted Fauci at a virtual Q & A event for the 23 campus presidents. The event was live-streamed for the campus community and featured questions from four CSU presidents.
Fauci said teachers must be at the front of the line for the vaccine.
“It’s extremely important to get children back in school and kept in school,” Fauci CONTINUE READING: Fauci puts priority on getting teachers vaccinated and a return to in-person classes | EdSource