Dr. Anthony Fauci said the best way to counter vaccine hesitancy is with respect and a step-by-step explanation of why itâs safe as he answered questions from a Montana audience on the future of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, spoke virtually to over 5,000 people last Wednesday in âA Conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauciâ for the annual Mansfield Lecture. Fauci acknowledged the historic nature of the pandemic that has killed over 2.3 million people worldwide before he discussed its future. âI donât think anyone could have imagined that things would have been this bad for over a year,â he said. âWeâre making a lot of progress now, but we have been through a very, very extraordinary and historic experience that isnât over yet.âÂ