Anthony S. Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, warned Americans that the level of 50,000 new infections per day in the country is still too high and urged people to get vaccinated, even as news rates rise. doses administered fell 14% last week.

“It’s a precarious level, and we don’t want it to increase,” he told ABC’s “This Week” Sunday as he urged Americans to get vaccinated. Public attitudes towards vaccinations have worsened across parties, and many other Republicans have expressed reluctance to receive doses.

In a poll by NBC News, 24% of respondents who identified as Republicans said they would not get the shot, compared to just 4% of respondents who identified as Democrats. Vaccination rates in predominantly Republican states have also been significantly lower than those in Democratic states.

Vaccination rates range from just 31.5% of people in Alabama who received at least one dose to 52% in Maine.

The Director of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins, however, warned that constant criticism from those who hesitate to vaccinate can be counterproductive and that more needs to be done to convince people of the benefits.

“One thing we need to do is change the conversation a bit; maybe there was too much wiggling of the fingers. I did some of that, and I’m going to try to stop myself, ”he told“ Meet the Press ”on NBC. He called for more efforts to listen to people’s concerns while reporting on the benefits of being vaccinated.

The US vaccination program has shown signs of slowing in recent days, even as the number of new cases remains stable or increases in places. Collins noted that 90% of the country lives just five miles from a vaccination site.