‘There’s a problem with kids and COVID’: Fauci says school kids should wear masks

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday, ‘I have no doubt’ that it should be mandatory for children to wear masks when they return to school in the fall.

‘There’s a problem with the kids’ [getting COVID],’ the nation’s top immunologist told NBC News’ Meet the Press.

“You have to be different and make sure you get the facts,” he continued. ‘A child is absolutely less likely to have a serious illness than an elderly person or someone with an underlying condition, but less does not mean zero.’

“You need to survey pediatric hospitals across the country, and you’re looking at a lot of young people who are not only infected, but seriously ill,” Fauci told host Chuck Todd.

‘These kids are getting sick. We really have to make sure we protect them,’ he said.

Fauci then recommends what he says is the safest way for children to return to school in the fall, masked by everyone who goes to and from work and school.

He said, ‘You do two things with kids who haven’t been vaccinated.’ ‘You surround them with people who can be vaccinated, whoever they are, teachers, school staff, whoever, get them vaccinated. So, protect children with the shield of vaccinated people.’

‘For children who cannot get vaccinated,’ he proposed, ‘that is why we are making a strong recommendation that, in schools, everyone should wear a mask, whether you have been vaccinated or not. ‘

‘We have to protect the children.’

Children under the age of 12 are still not approved to receive the coronavirus vaccine – and all three vaccines administered in the US are under emergency use authorization for eligible only.

Fauci said he expects a coronavirus vaccine to receive full approval from the Food and Drug Administration in the “next few weeks.”

“I’m almost certain — in fact, I’m certain — as soon as the FDA fully approves vaccines that are now under emergency use authorization —” Fauci began but was cut short.

‘I don’t mean to interrupt, but when is that?’ Todd intervened during his Sunday morning interview.

‘I hope, I don’t predict, but I expect it to happen in the next few weeks. I hope it will happen within the month of August,’ Fauci replied.

‘If that’s the case,’ he continued, ‘you’re going to see the empowerment of local enterprises that are giving mandates – which can be colleges, universities, places of business, a whole variety. And I strongly support it.’

Fauci, the nation’s top immunologist and medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said more now needed to be done to ‘convince’ Americans to get the vaccine, after the White House announced on Friday that the entire 50 percent of the US population has been. Vaccinated against COVID-19.

Fauci told NBC’s Chuck Todd (left) that he ‘hopes’ that COVID-19 vaccines will receive full Food and Drug Administration approval by the end of August.

The latest comments come after the White House announced on Friday that the US had reached a 50% vaccination rate among the entire population, including children.

Vaccination rates drop sharply in summer and hesitation remains among some communities

“The time has come for us to take additional steps to get people vaccinated,” Fauci said. ‘You want to celebrate them, that’s good.’

‘And I believe some people will go ahead and get vaccinated on their own, once approved as a full-fledged vaccine. But for those who don’t want to, I believe there is a need to have a mandate at the local level.”

There are three vaccines under the FDA’s emergency use authorization – Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

Vaccines and drugs are given special authorization by an agency under the Department of Health and Human Services in times of national emergencies – such as a pandemic.

The first vaccine was administered in December and was available only to adults for months, and in some cases those 16-18. In May, the shots were opened to Americans 12 and older.

It remains that anyone under the age of 12 cannot get the vaccine.

However, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said last week that the vaccine should be approved for use at all ages at some point during the coming school year.

White House COVID data director Cyrus Shahpar announced in a Friday tweet: ‘50% of Americans (all ages) are now fully vaccinated. Keep going!’

All three COVID-19 vaccines administered in the US are still under emergency use authorization and have not received full approval from the FDA

There is more hesitation towards the vaccine in some states, including the southern states. Fauci says a lot will go away when it gets FDA approval

The latest figures mean more than 165 million people have received the two doses needed with either Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or the Johnson & Johnson shot one-and-a-half.

Shahpar tweeted, ‘Friday now: +821K doses reported, including 565K new vaccinations. ‘Newly vaccinated 7-day average is up 11% from last week and 44% over last 2 weeks.’

The threshold for half of all fully vaccinated adult Americans was reached at the end of May.

Biden set a July 4 target for 70 percent of American adults to be given at least one dose. The target was achieved on August 2 with a delay of nearly a month.