The most famous scientist in America is facing retirement.

After more than five decades of federal service under seven presidents, Anthony Fauci says he’s leaving by the end of President Joe Biden’s term. In a wide-ranging interview with POLITICO, he spoke of his legacy, the hard truths about the country’s pandemic response and his desire to calm the politicization wracking the country.

Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health says available COVID-19 vaccines “don’t protect overly well” against infection but can stave off the possibility of hospitalization or death.

The 81-year-old doctor, speaking to Fox News, used his recent bout with the virus as an example. He pointed to his status as a vaccinated-and-boosted person as the reason behind his recovery.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Dr. Anthony Fauci had a sharp exchange on Thursday during a Senate hearing about the current status of the federal government’s response to COVID-19.

Paul wanted to know more information about royalty payments scientists at the National Institutes of Health have received.

US authorities are confident most states will soon reach and pass a peak in coronavirus Omicron variant cases, even as hospitals struggle to cope with the current surge, Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser said on Sunday.

“I think [we’re] as confident as you can be,” Anthony Fauci told ABC’s This Week. “You never want to be overconfident when you’re dealing with this virus, because it has certainly surprised us in the past.

A Republican lawmaker that Dr. Anthony Fauci called a "moron" earlier this week will introduce a financial disclosures bill known as the FAUCI Act.

Christmas travel will increase the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, even among the fully vaccinated, the top US infectious disease expert says.

"There's no doubt about this, [Omicron] has an extraordinary capability of spreading," Dr Anthony Fauci told NBC's Meet the Press programme on Sunday.

Dr Fauci, who advises the US government on the pandemic, said the variant was now "raging through the world".

Countries are tightening measures as the heavily mutated variant spreads.

The nation's top infectious disease expert says booster shots are critical to the fighting the current surge of coronavirus cases nationwide.

On Monday’s Morning Edition, A Martínez spoke with chief White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci about President Biden’s winter plan to fight the COVID-19 surge.

Listen here or continue below to read excerpts from their conversation.

Dr. Fauci says booster shots are critical:

The US government’s leading infectious diseases official, Anthony Fauci, has stepped up calls for Americans to get a Covid-19 booster shot, as the US is approaching 800,000 lives lost to coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.

Fauci warned that the Omicron variant appeared to be able to “evade” the protection of two initial doses of the mRNA-type Covid vaccines – Pfizer/BioNTech’s and Moderna’s – as well as post-infection therapies such as monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in a wide-ranging interview that aired Sunday said the political attacks against him are nothing more than "nonsense" and "noise." 

"So anybody spins lies and threatens and all that theater that goes on with some of the investigations and the congressional committees and the Rand Pauls and all that other nonsense, that's noise," Fauci said during an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Sunday called Dr. Anthony Fauci an "unelected technocrat who has distorted science and facts in order to exercise authoritarian control over millions of Americans" after Fauci blasted Cruz for suggesting he be investigated for statements he made about COVID-19.

"He lives in a liberal world where his smug 'I REPRESENT science' attitude is praised," Cruz tweeted.

The lawmaker also called for the Justice Department to investigate Fauci for making false statements to Congress.