Anthony Fauci Predicts Airlines, Universities Will Require Proof of Vaccination

Dr. Anthony Fauci expects airlines, cruise ships, and other organizations to require proof of being vaccinated in order to participate in their services, he said during Thursday’s Bloomberg Businessweek conference.

“There are organizations, particularly universities and colleges who are saying, not withstanding what the federal government is requiring, if you want to come into campus and be in in-person learning, you’re going to have to show proof of vaccination,” Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Biden, said Thursday.

“Cruise ships will likely be doing that. Airlines will likely be doing that. So you’re going to have at, a local, independent-level, things that the federal government is not going to be mandating,” he continued.

Fauci’s remarks follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) updated guidance, which states fully vaccinated individuals can “resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

As a result, major retailers have eased their hardline mask mandates, allowing vaccinated individuals to forgo a face covering while requesting unvaccinated customers to continue to follow federal health guidelines. However, it appears their updated guidelines are based wholly on an honor system — a phenomenon Fauci seemingly identified as an “issue” and “problem.”

“The problem and the issue is that we don’t have any way of knowing who is vaccinated and who’s not vaccinated,” Fauci said during an appearance on Good Morning America this week.

“I think that’s where the confusion arises because there are some establishments who are saying, ‘Well, I’m going to have people coming into my establishment or my store or what have you. Some are going to be vaccinated, some are not. I’m not going to know the difference,’” he continued.

“Some might be infected and might actually have a risk of infecting someone else,” Fauci added. “And under those circumstances, it’s perfectly reasonable and understandable for the owner of that establishment to say, ‘You know, we’re going to keep the mask mandate up.’ And that’s what we’re seeing”:

Dr. Anthony Fauci responds to confusion over CDC’s new mask guidance and gives advice to parents. https://t.co/ZZiWtPsZdb pic.twitter.com/58XRilUHky

— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 18, 2021

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director later doubled down, stating his belief that Americans are “misinterpreting” CDC guidance as the removal of mask mandates for everyone.

Fauci also said this week it will be “likely” that vaccinated individuals will need a booster shot within a year of their primary injection.

As concerns over vaccine passports arise, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), has taken action, signing a bill prohibiting the use of vaccine passports in the Sunshine State.

Over 126 million people in the United States qualify as fully vaccinated, according to the CDC’s May 20 data.