NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, in an interview with CNN on Tuesday, rejected Florida Gov. Ron De Santis (R) ‘s statement last week that getting the COVID vaccine should be a personal choice that “really doesn’t it hits me and no one else. “
What it says: “When it comes to an outbreak of an infectious disease, it’s not just about you,” the country’s leading infectious disease expert said. “There is a social responsibility we all have.”
- “Yes [DeSantis] considers that vaccines are not important to people, that they are only important to some people, is completely wrong, “he said when asked about DeSantis’ comments.
- “When you have a virus circulating in the community and you’re not vaccinated, you’re part of the problem. Because you allow yourself to be a vehicle for the virus to spread to someone else.”
- “So it’s not like I stopped with you,” Fauci added, noting that if an unvaccinated person tests positive, it could transmit the virus to those who are most vulnerable due to the underlying medical conditions.
The overview: The vast majority of people with COVID are unvaccinated adults.
Zoom in: DeSantis, who has banned mask warrants and vaccine passports in schools, has blamed Florida’s rise in new cases for a “seasonal pattern” and “media hysteria.”