Many more vaccination mandates would be needed to end the pandemic, says Fauci

Impact of Biden's plan against covid-19 on employees 1:04

(CNN) -

Millions of Americans still need to be vaccinated to slow or stop the spread of covid-19.

And getting the pandemic under control could require "many, many" more vaccination mandates, said Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that if more people are not persuaded to get vaccinated through messages from health officials and "trusted political messengers," additional mandates may be needed in schools and businesses.

"I think that's going to change this because I don't think people want to not go to work or go to college ... They will," Fauci told CNN's Jen Christensen during an interview at the NLGJA, the convention of the Association of LGBTQ Journalists, on Sunday.

"You would like them to do it completely voluntarily, but if that doesn't work, you have to go to the alternatives."

The combination of the highly contagious delta variant and vaccine concerns has put the United States through a "very difficult period" of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fauci said.

Of the eligible population in the US, which is currently limited to people 12 years of age and older, 63% are fully vaccinated, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). .

Health experts and officials point to the vast majority of the population being vaccinated to control the spread.

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Last week, President Joe Biden announced new vaccine requirements, including a mandate for companies with more than 100 employees to require regular vaccinations or tests for employees.

The plan was met with praise and criticism.

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Businesses that want employees to return to work and stay on the job will benefit from vaccination requirements, said Dr. Vivek Murthy, US Chief Health Officer. The mandate will also benefit employees, he added.

"I think that will not only improve public health, but it will give people a little more peace of mind," Murthy told CNN on Sunday.

But Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson argued that the requirements may backfire.

"We have to overcome resistance," Hutchinson said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"This is a very serious and deadly virus and we are all together trying to achieve a higher level of vaccination in the population. The problem is that I am trying to overcome the resistance, but the actions of the president in a mandate harden the resistance."

A sign indicates that proof of covid-19 vaccination is required outside Langer's Deli in Los Angeles on Aug. 7.

As the mandate debate continues, some hospitals are feeling the impact of the lag in vaccination rates.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis sounded the alarm on Friday, saying, "In fact, we have the lowest available ICU rate we've had since the beginning of this crisis, in part due to the unvaccinated against covid and only to other types of trauma that increase seasonally at this time of year. "

Polis said some hospitals in his state "are getting very close to their capacity limits. And that wouldn't be happening if people were vaccinated."

• This is what parents say about the Covid-19 vaccination mandate in Los Angeles schools

Children could have access to vaccines before Halloween

Should the US start vaccinating children under 12?

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Parents concerned about protecting their young children from the virus may have access to vaccines for them before Halloween, said the former US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who is a member of the Pfizer board, told CBS on Sunday "Face the Nation" that the company is expected to have data on vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 ready for the FDA by the end of September. .

"The FDA says it will be a matter of weeks, not months, to determine if they will authorize vaccines for children between the ages of 5 and 11. I take it to be maybe four weeks, maybe six weeks," Gottlieb said.

Although it is hopeful that vaccines for young children will be available soon, the FDA has warned parents not to rush to vaccinate their children prior to agency approval.

"Children are not small adults, and issues that can be addressed in pediatric vaccine trials may include whether there is a need for different doses or formulations of different strengths of vaccines that are already used for adults," the FDA said in a statement. on Friday.

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Until that age group is safe to vaccinate, Dr. James Versalovic, chief pathologist at Texas Children's Hospital, told CBS that prevention is crucial.

"In addition to prevention ... we must continue to emphasize to all parents and families the importance of early diagnosis through testing," Versalovic said.

"And then classify care appropriately. Decide if that child needs hospital care. We know how to treat children at this point in the pandemic."

New York welcomes 100% of students back

Concern about the risk of children becoming infected has increased as many return to their classrooms for a new school year.

Monday is the first time New York City public schools anticipate 100% of students returning since last year.

"We have been working for 18 months to prepare for this day," New York City Education Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter told CNN in an interview Friday.

As for safety concerns, all students and teachers returning to school on Monday will be required to wear masks and the city previously announced a vaccination mandate for all public school employees who opt out of testing.

Last week, New York Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that 72% of teachers are vaccinated and 65% of students ages 12 to 17 have received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine.

On Friday, the United Federation of Teachers said in a statement that an independent arbitrator ruled that teachers who have documented or religious exemptions should be offered an assignment outside of the classroom.

In some parts of the country, the return to campus has coincided with an increase in pediatric cases.

• Schools wouldn't see a big increase in COVID-19 cases if they follow these measures, Fauci says

At Texas Children's Hospital, Versalovic said, "We are still on a plateau. The reality is that we can go to another peak, or another valley if we all come together."

Gottlieb said that although COVID-19 case rates may be declining in some older age groups, "the only age category where it continues to rise is in school-age children."

Putting students in "clusters" in schools and performing routine asymptomatic tests can help reduce transmission, Gottlieb said.

"Instead of quarantining the entire classroom, you just do serial testing to make sure you didn't have an exposure that led to a later case and so you can actually use the tests to avoid quarantines," Gottlieb said during a Axios event on Friday.

CNN's Jen Christensen, Jessica Firger, Elizabeth Stuart, Dakin Andone, Aya Elamroussi, and Holly Yan contributed to this report.

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