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The honor was bestowed on the famous doctor and director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases during a Dec. 22 one-on-one virtual chat with Council Member Cam Burks, to mark Fauci's 80th birthday on Dec. 24. Fauci, who has become a household name across the country for his leadership during the pandemic, said he was honored to accept.
Burks congratulated Fauci on receiving his first vaccination shot earlier that day, which he said was uplifting to see, and took the opportunity to let Fauci know that in Lafayette residents are adhering to safety guidelines, saying he was proud of the community.
Acknowledging the reality of "COVID fatigue," Fauci nonetheless encouraged the community to keep it up, noting, "You've done a very good job in keeping your community safe to the extent that you can." And he reminded viewers of the light at the end of the tunnel - the vaccine, which he indicated should be more widely available to all by March or April.
Responding to a question from Burks about the length of immunity the vaccine might offer, Fauci said that was not yet known but said he believed that if 70-85% of the population gets vaccinated it would essentially put an end to this outbreak. "If we will subsequently need booster shots to keep the immunity up, so be it, that's not so bad," he said.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA