DR Anthony Fauci has warned children still have to wear face masks when playing with their friends – hours after the CDC said fully vaccinated Americans could ditch them indoors.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that Americans will only need to wear face coverings on public transport or in healthcare settings if they have been fully vaccinated.
But, Biden's top coronavirus chief has since warned kids must mask up if they are playing with their friends.
Fauci told CNN's Jake Tapper: "The children do when they are out there playing with their friends, particularly in an indoor situation, they do."
He warned the American people that the CDC's ruling doesn't mark the "end of the pandemic" but it was a step in the right direction.
A study published this week reveals that almost three-quarters of infected kids will never develop Covid-19 symptoms, Mail Online reports.
Dr. Fauci told Tapper that there are studies in age de-escalation taking place, meaning babies as young as six months old could receive a Covid jab by the end of the year.
He said: "We are also doing studies now in an age de-escalation so that we will be able, hopefully, by the end of the year to be able to vaccinate children of any age."
The CDC told Americans that they can ditch their masks indoors if they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
The health body said: "The science is clear: if you are fully vaccinated, you are protected, and you can start doing the things that you stopped doing because of the pandemic."
Director Rochelle Walensky added: "You can shed your masks."
Masks must still be worn in crowded indoor settings such as buses, trains, planes, prisons and homeless shelters.
Face coverings will also still be required in healthcare settings.
Americans have been advised that they will still need to follow regulations enforced by local businesses and some workplaces.
However, it would ease restrictions for reopening schools and other employment settings.
White House staff were reportedly emailed after the announcement and told they no longer need to wear a mask on the grounds if they are vaccinated.
Joe Biden also went maskless as he emerged from the White House for the first time since the announcement.
He celebrated the new guidance as a "great milestone" and said: "don’t bet against the American people."
Biden said: "This is a great day for America. This has been made possible by the incredible success we've had by vaccinating so many Americans so quickly."
Vice President Kamala Harris also opted not to wear a mask.
Biden urged Americans to be "patient with one another", as it may take some longer than others to re-adjust to pre-pandemic normalcy.
He said: "You know, some may say, 'I just feel more comfortable continuing to wear a mask.
"They may feel that way … please treat them with kindness and respect."
The president also said the government wouldn't start enforcing mask wearing for the unvaccinated.
The Food and Drug Administration announced on Monday that health experts had authorized the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for kids aged 12-15.
Previously, only those 16 and over were eligible to receive the jab.
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Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock called the move a "significant step in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic."
She said the authorization will bring the US "closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and ending the pandemic".
A phase three clinical trial earlier this year revealed that the vaccine was 100 per cent effective at preventing illness in kids aged 12-15.
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