Fauci Claims Unvaccinated Individuals Responsible for Hundreds of Thousands of Deaths

In a pivotal testimony before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci asserted that unvaccinated individuals may bear significant responsibility for the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, sparking renewed debate around vaccination efforts and public health messaging.

Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Monday, stating that unvaccinated individuals are “probably responsible” for hundreds of thousands of deaths. The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases made this claim in response to a question from Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California, who asked whether the public should trust medical experts or "podcasters, conspiracy theorists, and unhinged Facebook memes." Fauci emphasized that following the latter's advice deprives people of “lifesaving interventions.”

Fauci cited studies, including one by Dr. Peter Hotez, showing that vaccine refusal likely contributed to an additional 200,000–300,000 deaths in the U.S. However, in an exchange with Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) about vaccine effectiveness, Fauci acknowledged the complexity of the issue. He noted, “It’s important to point out something that we did not know early on that became evident as the months went by: the durability of protection against infection, and hence transmission, was relatively limited, whereas the duration of protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and deaths was more prolonged.”