Fauci Dismisses ‘Individual Freedom’ Before Sounding Alarm for Local Mandates: ‘We’re in Such a Serious Situation Now’

Dr. Anthony Fauci endorsed the idea of local mandates for teachers and professors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director appeared on Morning Joe Tuesday, where he warned of Covid’s potential to mutate into more serious variants if more of the public refuse to be vaccinated. At one point, he was asked if he agrees with Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, who recently came out in favor of vaccine mandates for teachers.

“I’m going to upset people on this, but I think we should,” Fauci said. “We are in a critical situation now. We’ve had 615,000 plus deaths, and we are in a major surge now as we’re going into the fall, into the school season. This is very serious business.”

Fauci added a clarification that “you’re not going to get mandates centrally from the federal government,” though he continued to speak in favor of mandates implemented by governors, schools, and local businesses.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know people must like to have their individual freedom and not be told to do something, but I think we’re in such a serious situation now that under certain circumstances, mandates should be done.”

Watch above, via MSNBC.