Fauci: Regional coronavirus spikes are possible if Americans continue to resist vaccinations
During the White House COVID-19 response team briefing on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that if some Americans continue to refuse to get vaccinated, there could be regional spikes across the country.
Video transcript
ROCEHELLE WALENSKY: I'd like to ask what will happen this winter if there continues to be a solid 20% to 30% of the adults who refuse to get vaccinated. Could there be a renewed surge? Could we even get back up to like 1,000 daily deaths? Or are those days behind us?
JEFFREY ZIENTS: Dr. Fauci.
ANTHONY FAUCI: If there is a persistence of a recalcitrant group that doesn't get vaccinated, there will be local type of regional spikes and outbreaks. I don't foresee what we refer to as a surge as we have known it, namely the three major surges that we've experienced over the past year and a half. I don't think even under those circumstances that you're going to see things like 1,000 deaths a day. I think that is a bit much, but there is a danger-- a real danger-- that if there is a persistence of a recalcitrance to getting vaccinated that you could see localized surges, which is the reason why I want to emphasize what all four of us have said. All of that is totally and completely avoidable by getting vaccinated. So the very fact that you bring up the question, which means there's a reality that that could happen, should hopefully stimulate people to appreciate that they have within their own wherewithal to prevent that from happening-- to get vaccinated.
