Dr. Fauci on Potentially Retiring Soon: ‘I Can’t Stay at This Job Forever’

For better or worse, Dr. Anthony Fauci has been integral to the way the U.S. has operated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, it seems he’s hinting at retirement. In a new interview with ABC News, he suggested the idea while discussing the pandemic’s end.

“I have said that I would stay in what I’m doing until we get out of the pandemic phase and I think we might be there already, if we can stay in this,” Fauci said, per Mediaite. “I can’t stay at this job forever,” he continued. “Unless my staff is gonna find me slumped over my desk one day. I’d rather not do that.”

Fauci’s plans to retire aren’t imminent, though the White House did hire a new coronavirus coordinator, Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Fauci’s new team member will probably ease some of his pandemic obligations.

“I, unfortunately, am somewhat of a unidimensional physician, scientist, public health person. When I do decide I’m going to step down, whenever that is, I’m going to have to figure out what it is I’m going to do,” Fauci told ABC. “I’d love to spend more time with my wife and family. That would really be good.”

Elsewhere, Fauci discussed how the Omicron variant BA.2 could impact current case numbers. “I would not be surprised if in the next few weeks we see somewhat of either a flattening of our diminution or maybe even an increase,” he said. His insights come as Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla recently said that a fourth vaccine dose may be needed for newer strains of COVID.