Dr. Fauci: Vaccine or Not, Mask-Wearing Should Continue

COVID-19 is making its second major surge over the course of the last few weeks, as if to taunt the medical community at large.

It was only a few days ago that Pfizer, along with BioNtech, announced an incredibly positive result from a clinical test of a new coronavirus vaccine, stating that the jab proved to be 90% effective in trial.  That number was shocking, as an efficacy rate of 50% would have been considered a massive success.

In the days surrounding the announcement, the United States would top all previous records for COVID cases and deaths, providing a stark and powerful reminder of just how dire the situation truly is.

Now, Dr. Anthony Fauci is weighing in on what the vaccine could mean for the world at large, and his outlook isn’t exactly rosy.

He and CNN’s Jake Tapper discussed the issue over the weekend. 

Jake Tapper said, “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?”

Fauci said, “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.”

Social distancing and mask wearing have already been hot topics when it comes to coronavirus safety, and Fauci’s remarks aren’t likely to resonate with a plurality of Americans.