White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci to step down in December after more than 50 years of public service

Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks about the Omicron coronavirus variant during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, December 1, 2021.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

The nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, plans to step down from his roles running the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and advising the White House as its chief medical advisor at the end of the year, he announced Monday.

Fauci, 81, has become a household fixture during the Covid-19 pandemic, battling back misinformation, sometimes from the highest levels of government. His steadfast commitment to science, battling back misinformation from the highest levels of government, made him a quasi-celebrity in the process.

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