Fauci says vaccinated families 'can feel good about' having normal holiday gatherings

Dr. Anthony Fauci said that people "can feel good about" having normal holiday gatherings if they and their family are vaccinated against COVID-19.

"If you get vaccinated and your family's vaccinated, you can feel good about enjoying a typical Thanksgiving, Christmas, with your family and close friends," Fauci said.

"So when you go to indoor, congregate settings, go the extra mile, be safe, wear a mask. But when you're with your family at home, goodness, enjoy it, with your parents, your children, your grandparents, there's no reason not to do that," he said.

"This will end," Fauci noted. "We are not gonna be going through this indefinitely. How quickly we get to the end depends on us: How well we vaccinate, how well we get boosted, and how well we do the kinds of things to protect ourselves."

COVID-19: What's the Forecast for the Holidays, 2022 & Beyond?youtu.be

Fauci, who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for more than three decades, has been a controversial and polarizing figure during the coronavirus pandemic.

While many Americans have chosen to get vaccinated against the illness, some have chosen not to do so.

The issues of COVID-19 vaccination and related mandates have become topics of significant debate within the U.S.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 68.8% of the U.S. population ages 12 and older have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 79.5% of that demographic has received at least one dose.