Fauci Pushes Back Timeline For Widespread Vaccinations

Americans hoping to get a coronavirus vaccine who aren't in a priority group may have to wait an additional month or two, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. The nation's leading infectious disease expert had recently predicted that anyone who wanted a vaccine would be able to get one by April, but now he says they will have to wait until late spring or summer.

"I was hoping that that would be by the end of April," Fauci told CNN on Tuesday. "That timeline will probably be prolonged into mid- to late-May and early June."

The April prediction was based on the expectation that Johnson & Johnson would have more doses available, Fauci said.

Even if enough doses become available in the coming months, Fauci cautioned that it will take time to administer the vaccines to everyone.

"It may take until June, July and August to finally get everyone vaccinated. When you hear about how long it's going to take to get the overwhelming proportion of the population vaccinated, I don't think anybody disagrees that that's going to be well to the end of the summer and we get into early fall," he said.

President Biden later said at a CNN town hall on Tuesday that enough doses would be available for everyone who wants one by the end of July.

First published on February 16, 2021 / 9:40 PM

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