Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, said on Tuesday that he expects "a lot more" COVID-19 vaccine mandates after the Pfizer vaccine received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
While appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Fauci said, "you're gonna see a lot more [vaccine] mandates because there will be institutions and organizations which previously were reluctant to require vaccinations, which will now feel much more empowered to do that."
"That could be organizations, businesses, colleges, universities. We're even seeing it with the military already," Fauci continued.
Fauci, who serves as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden, made similar comments while appearing on NBC News' Today show on Tuesday morning.
While speaking about the FDA's approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Fauci said "there will be much more enthusiasm in mandating vaccines, be they in corporations, in places of employment, universities, colleges, the military."
While appearing on the Today show, Fauci also suggested that there will be an increase in the number of vaccinations following the FDA approval.
"There's a survey that shows that about 30 percent of the people who have not gotten vaccinated and had been reluctant to get vaccinated have said that once they get what they consider the stamp of approval, the final imprimatur from the FDA, that they would very seriously consider getting vaccinated," Fauci said. "All of that, I believe, will contribute greatly to the number of people vaccinated."
On Monday, the FDA granted full approval to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer, after it had previously received an emergency use authorization.
"The public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product," acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement following the approval.
While Fauci believes that there will be an increase in COVID-19 vaccine mandates following the FDA approval, several notable businesses have already implemented a vaccine requirement, including the investment firm BlackRock, Facebook and Google.
According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 60.8 percent of Americans have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 51.5 percent are considered fully vaccinated.
When asked by Today show host Craig Melvin about when the U.S. will return to normal, Fauci said, "Our fate is in our own hands."
"I've said a couple of times if we do it right and get through the winter, I hope as we get to the spring of 2022, we'll get there. I hope so. It's up to us," Fauci said.
