As vaccinations continue to be rolled out, Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning Americans to not skip out on getting their second COVID-19 vaccine dose.
During a White House press briefing, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert noted that 8% of individuals who had received the first dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine had not returned for the second shot, reported CNBC.
"Though you'd like to see 100% adherence, 8% is within the realm of what you see with other multi-dose vaccines," Fauci said.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require a follow-up shot three to four weeks after the first dose. Both vaccines are about 95% effective against the novel virus, approximately 14 days after obtaining the second dose. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single-dose regimen.
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Fauci also noted how the second dose has shown to offer protection against COVID variants.
"Bottom line of my message ... Get vaccinated, and if you're having a two-dose regimen, make sure you get that second dose," he added.
Fauci’s comments come as the White House announced 100 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, according to CNN.
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"Today we reached a major milestone in the number of Americans who are fully vaccinated," White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said at the press briefing. "Today, 100 million Americans are fully vaccinated, nearly double the 55 million who were fully vaccinated at the end of March."
More than half of U.S. adults have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, with approximately 40 percent fully vaccinated.
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