Fauci says the US could see a 'degree of normality' by the fall if 70-85% are vaccinated by the end of summer

• Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday emphasized vaccines as necessary for a return to normal.
• Fauci said his "best-case scenario" was for 85% of Americans to be vaccinated by the end of summer.
• The CDC says over 17.5 million vaccine doses have been administered in the US.

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday underscored that a strong majority of Americans would need to be vaccinated before the US could reverse many of the drastic changes in daily life brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

During a White House press briefing, Fauci said President Joe Biden's goal of vaccinating 100 million people in 100 days was "reasonable."

Fauci went on to say that if the US could vaccinate 70% to 85% of people by the end of summer, it could approach a "degree of normality" by fall. He described this as the "best-case scenario."

But he addressed skepticism over the vaccine, advocating a strong outreach on that front to educate people on the necessity and importance of vaccination.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly 38 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the US, with more than 17.5 million doses administered.

Thursday was Fauci's first appearance at a White House press briefing under the Biden administration.

Fauci, who has advised multiple presidents on public-health crises, has been one of the most trusted voices in the country on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Trump administration's anti-science approach to the virus often placed Fauci in a precarious position in terms of publicly contradicting President Donald Trump, which the infectious-disease expert alluded to Thursday.

"The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know ... let the science speak - it is somewhat of a liberating feeling," Fauci told reporters.