Fauci Urges Americans to Get Vaccinated, Warns Kids Will Be More Likely to Be Infected by Delta Variant

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:33 pm

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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Americans that unvaccinated children are more likely to contract the Covid-19 Delta variant because of its high transmissibility.

“This virus is more a transmissible virus, therefore, children will more likely get infected with this than they would with the Alpha variant,” Fauci said in an interview with CBS, adding that he expects the Delta variant to become the dominant strain in the United States.

Fauci noted that vaccines work “quite well” against the variant but warned that those who remain unvaccinated are most at risk.

“If they are unvaccinated, they are at risk,” he said. “Whereas those who are vaccinated can have a great Fourth of July. You can just do all the things you want to do on the Fourth of July if, in fact, you’re vaccinated.”

The best way to protect children, Fauci noted, “is to bring the level of virus circulation in the community down.”

“The best way to do that is that those — i.e. adults — who are eligible for vaccination to get vaccinated so you’re not only protecting yourself, but by bringing the level of virus down in the community, you’re indirectly protecting the children who can’t yet get vaccinated. That’s one of the most important ways to do that,” he said.

65.5% of the adult population in the US has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, the country will fall just short of President Joe Biden‘s goal to have 70% of American adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4, as a result of declining vaccination rates and hesitancy among the unvaccinated population.

“Covid-19 vaccines are available for everyone ages 12 and up,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a White House briefing yesterday. “They are nearly 100% effective against severe disease and death — meaning nearly every death due to Covid-19 is particularly tragic, because nearly every death, especially among adults, due to Covid-19 is at this point entirely preventable.”

Alan Herrera

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