WATCH: Fauci claims not masking is ‘encroaching’ on the ‘individual rights’ of others

Fauci made the comments on ABC's This Week. Fauci was asked about Arizona governor Doug Ducey's statement: "Arizona does not allow mask mandates, vaccine mandates, vaccine passports or discrimination in schools based on who is or isn't vaccinated."

"They are arguing that this is individual responsibility, an individual's right to decide," Jonathan Karl told Fauci. "What is your answer to these Republican governors in some of the largest states in our country?"

"I respectfully disagree with them," said Fauci. "The fact is there are things that are individual responsibilities, that one has, and there are things that have to do with you individually, which also impact others and get the spread of infection that we're seeing now, the surge in cases, Jon, is impacting everyone in the country."

"So although you want to respect a person's individual right, when you're dealing with a public health situation, and we are in fact in a very serious public health challenge here, with a pandemic, with a virus that has an extraordinary capability of spreading rapidly and efficiently from person to person," Fauci said.

"So a person's individual—individual decision to not wear a mask, not only impacts them, because if they get infected, even though they say 'it's my decision, if I get infected, I'll worry about that.' But the fact is, if you get infected, even if you are without symptoms, you very well may infect another person who may be vulnerable, who may get seriously ill," Fauci said.

"So in essence, you are encroaching on their individual rights because you're making them vulnerable," Fauci said.

These comments come after a series of interviews given by Fauci following the CDC's reversal of mask guidelines for fully vaccinated Americans.