Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted Thursday morning that April will be “open season” for all Americans to have access to the coronavirus vaccine, not just individuals in high-risk groups.
Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie that the “number of available doses will allow for much more of a mass vaccination approach” in March and April, which is “more accelerated than what you’re seeing now.” (RELATED: White House Announces Increase In Weekly Vaccine Supply And Launches Another New Direct Shipment Program)
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 21: Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr Anthony Fauci speaks as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki listens during a White House press briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House January 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“If you compare now to what we were doing just a month ago, the escalation has really been considerable,” he continued. “I would imagine, and in fact I’m fairly certain, as we get in towards the end of April, you’ll see some of the implementation of what you just showed.”
Fauci cited the White House’s new direct shipment locations — including pharmacies and community vaccine centers — as “really stepping up the pace of vaccinations.”
“By the time we get to April, that will be what I would call, for better wording, ‘open season,’ namely virtually everybody and anybody in any category could start to get vaccinated,” he claimed. “From then on it would likely just take several more months just logistically to get vaccine into people’s arms.”
WATCH:
“The fit is better if you put a surgical mask on and put a cloth mask over.”
Watch @SavannahGuthrie’s full interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci about double masking, vaccination efforts and variant strains of COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/mWNpHlejkj
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 11, 2021
The Biden administration has launched a number of new vaccine shipping programs in recent weeks, and weekly distribution to states and territories has jumped nearly 30 percent over the last month, White House coronavirus adviser Jeff Zients told reporters Wednesday.
Zients, Fauci and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky have maintained that as many Americans must be vaccinated as soon as possible to stop coronavirus from replicating and potential new variants from emerging.