- Dr. Fauci recommends that you skip seeing unvaccinated relatives for the holidays.
- "Maybe another time, when this is all over," he told MSNBC on Tuesday.
- Cases of the Omicron variant have been spiking nationwide just before the holidays.
Dr. Fauci said on Tuesday that he recommends people avoid seeing unvaccinated relatives during the upcoming holidays as the Omicron variant rapidly spreads across the country.
"I think we're dealing with a serious enough situation that if there's an unvaccinated person, I would say 'I'm very sorry, but not this time,'" the nation's top infectious disease expert told MSNBC's Alicia Menendez.
He added: "Maybe another time, when this is all over."
Fauci's advice comes as Omicron has quickly become the most common coronavirus variant in the US, making up 73% of recent confirmed cases, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Just over 70% of the US population over the age of 12 is fully vaccinated, CDC data shows, and only 30.4% of those who are fully vaccinated have received their booster shots.
Fauci said the Omicron variant "is going to find you" if you haven't been vaccinated yet.
He added that he hopes unvaccinated individuals will "put aside any ideological consideration" and get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.
"It's the best thing for you and your family, but also your societal responsibility to not allow yourself to be a vehicle for spread to someone else who might be very vulnerable," he said.
Watch the full interview below: