Anthony Fauci ‘in Favor’ of Vaccine Mandates Despite Admitting People Can’t Be Forced

Dr. Anthony Fauci is "in favor" of local vaccine mandates despite previously admitting people cannot be forced to get the jab.

Last year, Fauci spoke during a town hall with Healthline and explicitly said he did not see a vaccine mandate in the United States's future.

"I don't think you'll ever see a mandating of vaccine, particularly for the general public," Fauci said at the time, adding, "If someone refuses the vaccine in the general public, then there's nothing you can do about that. You cannot force someone to take a vaccine."

However, Fauci has altered his position this year, actively advocating for vaccine mandates across the country.

During an appearance on CNN's State of the Union last month, Fauci expressed the belief that there should be "more mandates."

"I have been of this opinion, and I remain of that opinion that I do believe at the local level, Jake, there should be more mandates," the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told Jake Tapper at the time .

"There really should be," he continued. "We're talking about [a] life-and-death situation. We've lost 600,000 Americans already, and we're still losing more people."

At the time, Fauci added that full authorization of the vaccines from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would go a long way and trigger "a lot more mandates."

"This is serious business, so I am in favor of that," Fauci said:

You know, one of the things that will happen, and I think the hesitancy at the local level of doing mandates is because the vaccines have not been officially, fully approved, but people need to understand that the amount of data right now that shows a high degree of effectiveness and a high degree of safety is more than we've ever seen with emergency use authorization.

Vaccine mandates have become an emerging theme in conversation in the past days and weeks. This month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) bragged about his plan to force businesses to discriminate against the unvaccinated via the Key to NYC Pass.

"The voluntary phase is over," de Blasio declared , predicting that similar mandates will go into effect "all over the country."

Indeed, San Francisco followed suit, requiring individuals to show proof of vaccination prior to entering indoor establishments such as restaurants and gyms, Mayor London Breed announced:

A number of businesses, large and small, have already led by requiring proof of vaccination before this.

This new health order is about protecting the health of employees, residents, and visitors, and keeping our businesses open.

— London Breed (@LondonBreed) August 12, 2021

Recent surveys suggest the majority of unvaccinated Americans will not be coerced into getting the shot, regardless of local mandates or restrictions.