Fauci to step down after decades as top US infection expert

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who played a vital role in navigating mankind through the two pandemics of our time, AIDS and COVID-19, announced his retirement from the federal government on Monday.

He will depart his post as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as well as his position as chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation and as President Biden’s main medical adviser, in December.

For decades, the forthright scientist and physician was the government’s chief infectious disease doctor, and one of the few scientists many Americans recognized by name.

Fauci, 81, worked for seven presidents and helped steer the country through several health crises. Beginning as the NIAID’s young director in the early 1980s, he was essential in combating the AIDS pandemic.

He also took front stage in a politically charged reaction to the nation’s COVID-19 outbreak, and he was both commended and chastised for his straightforward approach.

As Vice President, I collaborated closely with Dr. Anthony Fauci on the US response to Ebola and Zika. I knew him as a committed public servant and a steady hand with knowledge and insight developed over decades at the frontline of some of our most serious and difficult public health challenges.

When it came time to put up a team to manage our COVID-19 response, I immediately requested Dr. Fauci to stay on as my Chief Medical Advisor to deal with the COVID-19 catastrophe that our country was facing. As part of that duty, I was able to call him at any time of day or night for help as we dealt with this once-in a generation epidemic. His dedication to the task is unshakable, and he approaches it with unrivaled zeal, intensity, and scientific integrity. Keep reading about Midtown Shooting.