Rand Paul mocks Fauci over advocacy of mask use after vaccination

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., stepped up his criticism of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s call for Americans to continue wearing masks after receiving their COVID-19 vaccinations on Tuesday, citing a study that found evidence that vaccinated or recovered individuals had protection against COVID-19 variants.

"Dr. Fauci, great news! T cell immunity after natural infection shown to include variants," Paul wrote on Twitter. "Do we still need to wear multiple masks after we’ve recovered or been vaccinated?" The study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, found that "virtually all anti-SARS-CoV-2 CD8+ T-cell responses should recognize these newly described variants." The study’s authors noted that its findings were based on a limited sample size. In February, Fauci warned it was "possible" that Americans would need to wear masks into next year. He has also suggested that wearing two masks makes "common sense" to provide additional protection against the virus.