Fauci says it's 'becoming more and more difficult to get people to listen' because Americans are fed up with the COVID-19 pandemic and want it 'behind them'

• Fauci, who leads the US COVID-19 response, said it's harder and harder to get people to listen.
• "Even the people who are compliant want this behind them," Fauci told Politico.

More than two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's chief medical advisor said it's difficult to get even the most COVID-19-conscious Americans to follow pandemic guidelines.

"It's becoming more and more difficult to get people to listen, because even the people who are compliant want this behind them," Anthony Fauci said in an interview with Politico. "What I try to convince them [of], with my communication method, is we're not asking you to dramatically alter your lifestyle. We're not asking you to really interfere with what you do with your life. We're just asking you to consider some simple, doable mitigation methods."

Fauci's latest battle has been convincing Americans to get their COVID-19 booster shot.

The Omicron BA.5 variant of the coronavirus is the dominant strain in the US and has a greater ability to evade immunity than past versions, leading Fauci and other officials to highlight the importance of getting boosted last week.

"Variants will continue to emerge if the virus circulates globally and in this county," Fauci said during that press conference. "We should not let it disrupt our lives, but we cannot deny that it is a reality that we need to deal with."

Less than half of fully vaccinated Americans have received their first booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only 28.5% of people over 50 and 35.2% of people over 65 have received a second booster.