WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci says he’s worried that people resisting COVID-19 vaccine shots based on religious grounds may be confusing that with a philosophical objection.

Fauci, who is President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, says getting the COVID-19 vaccine is no different in concept than receiving other vaccines such as for measles, which have been done for many years. He says a public health review found “very, very few, literally less than a handful” of established religions which actually oppose vaccinations.

Religious exemptions have been on the rise since Biden last month announced sweeping new COVID-19 vaccine mandates covering more than 100 million Americans.

Fauci acknowledges the challenges of businesses to determine if an employee’s claimed religious exemption is more an excuse to bypass legal requirements.

He told CNN’s “State of the Union”: “I would hope that people would understand that all of this is for their benefit, for the safety of themselves, their family and their societal responsibility.”