U.S.

Fauci Announces December Departure From Government Service

Dr. Anthony Fauci — the nation's top infectious disease expert — has said his departure from the federal government does not mean he's retiring.

Fauci Announces December Departure From Government Service
Alex Brandon / AP
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert who became a household name — and the subject of partisan attacks — during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Monday he will depart the federal government in December after more than five decades of service.

Dr. Fauci: Leaving Government Position Does Not Mean Retirement
Dr. Fauci: Leaving Government Position Does Not Mean Retirement

Dr. Fauci: Leaving Government Position Does Not Mean Retirement

Dr. Anthony Fauci said he doesn't plan to retire after stepping down from his current role as the government's top infectious disease expert.

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Fauci, who serves as President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation. He was a leader in the federal response to HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases even before the coronavirus hit.

“I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career,” Fauci said in a statement, calling those roles “the honor of a lifetime.”

President Biden praised Fauci in a statement, saying, “Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work. I extend my deepest thanks for his public service. The United States of America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.”

Additional reporting by The Associated Press.