Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, announced Monday he intends to retire from government service in December after four decades of work advising seven presidents.
Fauci, who also serves as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a statement he will be leaving both positions “to pursue the next chapter” of his career.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to have led the NIAID, an extraordinary institution, for so many years and through so many scientific and public health challenges. I am very proud of our many accomplishments,” he said.
In July, Fauci had said he intended to retire before the end of Biden’s current term.
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Fauci advised President Donald Trump and Biden, as well as a weary country, during a time of uncertainty over the virus. He held a similar role as a public figure on infectious disease for viral epidemics including HIV, SARS, swine flu, Zika, Ebola and avian influenza.
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