Frustrated Fauci warns of pandemic 'wrong direction'

WILMINGTON, Delaware－The United States is in an "unnecessary predicament" of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated people and the virulent Delta variant, the nation's top infectious diseases expert said on Sunday.

"We're going in the wrong direction," said Anthony Fauci, describing himself as "very frustrated".

He said recommending that the vaccinated wear masks is "under active consideration" by the government's leading public health officials. Also, booster shots may be suggested for vaccinated people with suppressed immune systems.

Fauci, who also serves as President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, told CNN's State of the Union that he has taken part in conversations about altering mask guidelines.

He noted that some local jurisdictions such as Los Angeles County where infection rates are surging, are already calling on individuals to wear masks in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status. Fauci said those local rules are compatible with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation.

More than 163 million people, or 49 percent of the total US population, are fully vaccinated, according to data from the CDC. Of those eligible for the vaccine, aged 12 and over, the figure rises to 57 percent.

"This is an issue predominantly among the unvaccinated, which is the reason why we're out there, practically pleading with the unvaccinated people to go out and get vaccinated," Fauci said.

He said government experts are reviewing early data as they consider whether to recommend vaccinated individuals to get booster shots. He suggested that some of the most vulnerable, such as organ transplant and cancer patients, are "likely" to be recommended for booster shots.

COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations continue to increase among the unvaccinated across the US.

As of Monday, the country had more than 34.2 million confirmed cases with more than 605,500 deaths, according to data from the World Health Organization.

Health experts have blamed the recent surges on low vaccination rates and the accelerating Delta variant transmission.

The CDC on Sunday reported an uptick in the number of vaccine doses administered in the latest 24-hour period－778,996, the highest number given in a 24-hour period since the US reported giving 1.16 million doses on July 3.

However, that number is far below the peak of 4.63 million doses reported on April 10, and the pace of vaccinations is still generally declining.

Pfizer and BioNTech said on Friday that the US had purchased 200 million more doses of their vaccine to help with pediatric vaccinations as well as possible booster shots.

Agencies - Xinhua