(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Due to how widespread COVID-19 is in the United states, the White House coronavirus task force cautions that the vaccine will not start curbing its spread until the spring.

In a new briefing for governors from the task force, it suggests that to begin slowing the virus’ spread, 100 million Americans will have to be vaccinated.  Only then, the report says, hospitalizations and fatalities will decline.

The task force report also cautioned, “Behavioral change and aggressive mitigation policies are the only widespread prevention tools that we have to address this winter surge.”

In addition, many states have relaxed their restrictions they had in place over the summer.  Currently, 2,000 counties are in COVID-19 red zones.

“This current fall to winter surge continues to spread to every corner of the U.S., from small towns to large cities, from farms to beach communities,” the report said.

COVID-19 has infected over 15.1 million Americans and has killed over 285,000 — according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Doctor Anthony Fauci also warned that America has yet to witness the surge in cases linked to Thanksgiving gatherings.  

We have not yet seen the full blunt and the effect of the traveling and the congregating,” Fauci said Tuesday during The Wall Street Journal‘s CEO Council summit.  “That should be sometime probably next week, or a week and a half.”

“Then we’re going to enter into the Christmas season, again, with more traveling and with more congregating at family and social gatherings. So we’re in for a very challenging period,” Fauci continued.