USA: 100 million vaccinations in 100 days 'absolutely doable', says Fauci

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, USA on Sunday said that the goal of delivering 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccines in 100 days is “doable”. US President-elect Joe Biden had promised to put 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to use within the first 100 days of his presidency.

Fauci referred to the plan as an “absolutely doable thing”. The doctor was speaking at NBC’s “Meet The Press” event. He added that two vaccines under development by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson could “very soon” be approved in the US, pending regulation by medical bodies.

"We're weeks away, not months away, for sure," he said.

Fauci also added that the only way to tackle a new, infectious strain of coronavirus is to wear a mask, and to avoid crowds, along with a robust vaccination programme.

"If we can get the overwhelming majority of the population vaccinated, we'd be in very good shape and could beat even the mutant," Fauci added.

The United States is being criticised for its handling of the pandemic, which has led to the deaths of 390,000 people in the country.

"The feasibility of his goal is absolutely clear. There's no doubt about that, that that can be done”, Fauci added.