(Headline USA) Coronavirus Czar Dr. Anthony Fauci said this weekend that he would support implementing a vaccine mandate for all domestic travelers in the U.S., and “anything” else “that could get people more vaccinated.”
During an interview with ABC News’ “This Week,” host Jonathan Karl asked Fauci if he agreed with the Biden administration’s statement that vaccinate mandates for domestic air travel are “not necessary at this time.”
“Well, it depends on what you want to use it for,” Fauci replied. “I mean, vaccine requirements for people coming in from other countries is to prevent newly infected people from getting in to the country.”
He also admitted that a domestic travel vaccine mandate wouldn’t have anything to do with preventing the spread of COVID-19, since fully vaccinated persons can still catch and spread the virus. Rather, the mandate would be about controlling the behavior of Americans.
“A vaccine requirement for a person getting on the plane is just another level of getting people to have a mechanism that would spur them to get vaccinated,” Fauci said. “Namely, you can’t get on a plane unless you’re vaccinated, which is just another one of the ways of getting requirements, whatever that might be.”
Just a couple of months ago, Fauci downplayed the idea of a domestic travel vaccine mandate.
“Right now, I don’t see that immediately,” he said in October. “I don’t want to say support or not I think it’s a decision that’s made by input from a number of parts of the government, including public health.”
