Anthony Fauci likely to retire by the end of Biden's term

Published Mon, Jul 18 202212:29 PM EDT

Aria Bendix and Kelly O'Donnell

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, responds to questions from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to examine the federal response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and new emerging variants at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. January 11, 2022.

Greg Nash | Reuters

Dr. Anthony Fauci will likely retire by the end of President Joe Biden's term in January 2025.

Fauci has directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. He has also served as Biden's chief medical adviser since January 2021.

"I have always said that sometime in the reasonable future, I would be stepping down," Fauci told NBC News. "Thus sometime between now and then I very likely will step down and move on to the next phase in my professional career, whatever that may be."

However, Fauci said "no decision has been made" about precisely when his retirement will begin — he simply views end of Biden's term as a marker for his retirement planning.

At age 81, he said, "I do not plan to be in this position forever."

This is a developing story.