Dr. Fauci Warns A Vaccine Might Not Be Enough to Eradicate the Coronavirus Entirely

Last updated on November 13th, 2020 at 05:06 pm

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading coronavirus expert, says a vaccine is on the way––but it might not be enough to eradicate the coronavirus entirely. He advised authorities to continue to “double down on public health measures” even after a vaccine becomes available.

“I think the opposite… I really do,” Fauci said during a webinar hosted by think tank Chatham House, dismissing the idea that people will become complacent once a vaccine becomes readily available. “The cavalry is coming but don’t put your weapons down, you better keep fighting because they are not here yet. Help is on the way, but it isn’t here yet.”

“So, to me, that is more of an incentive of please don’t give up. Don’t despair. The end is in sight, as opposed to: ‘Hey, we are good to go, don’t worry about anything.’ We are not good to go. We have got to continue to double down on public health measures,” he continued.

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“I doubt we are going to eradicate this,” Fauci went on to say. “I think we need to plan that this is something we may need to maintain control over chronically. It may be something that becomes endemic, that we have to just be careful about. Certainly, it is not going to be a pandemic for a lot longer because I believe the vaccines are going to turn that around.”

The United States has recorded 10,403,745 cases of coronavirus nationwide, the highest number of coronavirus cases in the world.

Earlier this week, pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced its early Covid-19 vaccine is more than 90 percent effective. The vaccine was developed jointly with the German biotechnology company BioNTech. Pfizer confirmed it did not work with the Trump administration to develop the vaccine despite President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence‘s claims to the contrary. 

“We were never part of the Warp Speed … We have never taken any money from the U.S. government, or from anyone.” said Kathrin Jansen, a senior vice president and the head of vaccine research and development at Pfizer.

The New York Times noted in its coverage that “Dr. Jansen sought to distance the company from Operation Warp Speed and presidential politics, noting that the company — unlike the other vaccine front-runners — did not take any federal money to help pay for research and development.”

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.