Fauci defends himself amidst pandemic controversies.
Dr Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, admitted that Covid vaccine mandates he championed may have fueled a dip in confidence in routine shots. He said the policies were 'counterproductive' and turned vaccine skeptics off rather than gain their favor. Inoculations for diseases that were once considered deadly in the US have fallen since the mandates were enforced, most notably among children who are especially vulnerable to severe cases of measles, pertussis, and polio. Many experts believe the Covid shot requirements fueled vaccine hesitancy that had been brewing in the US for decades.