Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN on Sunday that Americans will still be required to socially distance and wear masks, even after a coronavirus vaccine becomes available.
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” host Jake Tapper asked Fauci:
“Once somebody has been immunized … Once the process is complete, does that mean they can take off their mask, don’t have to social distance, and go about their lives as before?”
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Fauci responded:
“I would recommend that is not the case. I would recommend you have an added area of protection. Obviously, with 90 plus percent effective vaccine, you could feel much more confident, but I would recommend to people to not abandon all public health measures just because you’ve been vaccinated.”
He added, “Even though for the general population, it might be 90 to 95% effective, you don’t necessarily know for you how effective it is. So when I get vaccinated, which I hope to when it becomes my turn to get vaccinated, I’m not going to abandon completely public health measures. I could feel more relaxed and essentially not having the stringency we have right now.”
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