Not all teachers need to be vaccinated in order for schools to reopen, according to the country’s top infectious disease expert.

“It’s not [the case] that you can’t open a school unless all the teachers are vaccinated. That would be optimal, if you could do that,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.

“Practically speaking, when you balance the benefit of getting the children back to school with the fact that the risks are being mitigated if you follow the recommendations and these new guidelines from the CDC, hopefully, I think that will alleviate the concerns on both sides,” he added.

The comments came as school closures remained in effect throughout the country. Middle schools are set to reopen for in-person learning in New York City later this week, the latest in a series of steps toward getting back to regular schooling here.

Fauci repeated calls for Congress to pass a $1.9 trillion stimulus package including millions of dollars for supplies for schools.

“Schools really do need more resources,” he said. “And that’s the reason why the national relief act that we’re talking about getting passed – we need that.”