The top infectious disease expert in the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, received widespread criticism for giving his blessings for kids to celebrate Halloween this year, with many residents arguing that "no one asked him."
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that American children can safely go trick-or-treating on Halloween this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday, Fauci said that kids should "go out there and enjoy Halloween." The medical professional argued that there were many fully vaccinated people that made the event safer.
Fauci's Go Signal For Halloween
Fauci also urged other residents to get vaccinated, saying that it helps to protect more people from the coronavirus infection. He also called on unvaccinated adults and teens to get inoculated before the holiday but said that kids can still enjoy Halloween regardless.
The infectious disease expert's green light on celebrating Halloween comes as the United States is recording declining hospitalizations, infections, and deaths related to the coronavirus. However, many experts continue to warn that the disease could bounce back and surge if many people remain unvaccinated, risking the faster spread of the infection, ABC News reported.
But many residents have criticized Fauci on social media over his statements, with some saying that no one asked for his permission to enjoy the holiday. However, the medical professional's comments were answers regarding a question that he was asked during an interview about the holiday amid the pandemic.
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One critic questioned how many Americans in the United States actually listened to Fauci and based their actions on his recommendations. Another user jokingly expressed his concerns that all of the candy he had bought for Halloween would have gone to waste without Fauci's blessings.
Laura Ingraham, a television host, asked whether there were any American parents who were waiting for Fauci to give his go signal before allowing their kids to go trick-or-treating. Another critic argued that many United States residents were already attending football games and NASCAR races, Fox News reported.
Declining Hospitalizations and Cases
The situation comes as experts believe that the declining hospitalizations, cases, and deaths across the country suggest that the virus could become more endemic. This means that it would be a less disruptive threat that would allow Americans to go back to their normal lives faster. However, unvaccinated residents are numbered in the tens of millions, threatening the prospect of an improving situation as winter approaches.
On Sunday, Fauci said that the United States was certainly going in the right direction, which he considered good news for the American people. The medical professional hoped that the positive situation would continue and have a higher decline in hospitalizations and case rates. However, he noted that people should be careful not to prematurely declare victory against the coronavirus pandemic, Yahoo News reported.
The situation also comes as Pfizer and BioNTech submitted a request last week to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting emergency authorization for their vaccine to be used on children aged five to 11 years old. However, the timing of the authorization means that Halloween will come and go before it is issued for use.
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