Fauci: Getting pandemic under control by spring is 'within our power'

If enough people get vaccinated, the United States could get the spread of COVID-19 under control by spring 2022, Dr. Anthony Fauci says.

Fauci, President Biden's chief medical adviser, told CNN's Anderson Cooper that "if we can get through this winter" and get the "overwhelming majority" of people vaccinated who haven't already gotten their shot, the U.S. could "start to get some good control in the spring of 2022" and "start getting back to a degree of normality."

Fauci added, though, that reaching this goal is "up to us" and will depend on people getting vaccinated.

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"If we keep lingering without getting those people vaccinated that should be vaccinated, this thing could linger on, leading to the development of another variant which could complicate things," he said. "So it's within our power to get this under control."

Fauci's comments came after the FDA officially approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, and he told CNN this should "give a lot of incentive and backing for a lot of institutions and organizations and places of employment to mandate" vaccination, which he argued is "a good thing."

As for when children under 12 could be able to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Fauci told NBC's Today on Tuesday there's a "reasonable chance" this age group could be eligible before the upcoming holiday season.