Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US government's top infectious disease expert. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Pool via AP)

Fauci told CNN he believes that mandating vaccines for children to appear in school is a good idea as they have done this for decades, requiring polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and hepatitis vaccinations.

Currently, children under 12 are not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. But Fauci, in a separate interview on ABC, said there should be enough data by early October for the US Food and Drug Administration to consider whether the shot is safe for children under that age.

He said he thinks there's a reasonable chance" that the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines could get FDA clearance for kids under 12 before the upcoming holiday season.