PASCO COUNTY, Fla. -- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said it might not be a matter of eradicating the coronavirus, but of getting it under control.

"I think we need to be careful when you say it's not going away," Fauci told reporters taking part in a webinar hosted by the Alliance for Health Policy. "Remember: there's only been one virus in the history of the planet that has been eradicated, and that's smallpox."

Instead, Fauci said a combination of public health measures, like wearing a mask and social distancing, and the eventual development of a vaccine can help to essentially eliminate it in the U.S.

"You may have some lingering of infection around that might come back in a seasonal way, but hopefully, with the technologies and the vaccines and getting much, much better in our public health measures, we'll be able to control it in a way that it is not a pandemic or an epidemic threat," Fauci said. "That is up to us as a society. If we do the fundamental things that we've been talking about for so long -- masks, physical separation, avoiding crowds, outdoor things better than indoor -- you can get the level down low enough you can then control it much better."

There's not an exact percentage of the population Fauci said he could point to as a goal for vaccination that would ensure widespread immunity. 

"What we want to do is have a combination of people who are immune because they have recovered -- and there are many of those, I can tell you -- plus the amount of protection we can get with a...vaccine," Fauci said.

Fauci said he thinks that within a reasonable amount of time into next year, hundreds of millions of doses of a vaccine will be available. However, he noted that in the beginning supplies may be limited and distribution may have to be prioritized. He said the decision of who gets the vaccine first will be up to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, along with a group of ethicists, scientists, and other experts assembled by the National Academy of Medicine. Fauci said the first in line will likely be health care workers and high risk groups.

In the meantime, Fauci said he doesn't think further shut downs like those seen earlier this year will be necessary.

"We can get this down and under control without necessarily needing to lock down," he said. "We can do it by prudent opening up according to the guidelines."