America Gets Vaccinated
One of President Biden’s highest priorities from his first days in the White House was accelerating COVID-19 vaccinations. He wanted to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first hundred days in office. How is that goal coming along?
Will Biden Meet His Goal?
President Biden’s initial goal of 100 million vaccinations by May 1was achieved in almost half the time–58 days! So the president targeted a new goal–to vaccinate two hundred million people in his first hundred days. After 75 days, 150 million Americans had been vaccinated. Currently, about 3.1 million shots are given per day–more than 20 million each week. Biden announced recently that by April 19, 90 percent of all Americans will be within five minutes of a vaccination site, and all vaccinations sites will be open to all adults ages 18 and over, without any restrictions.
What About the Most Vulnerable Populations?
Senior citizens, the most vulnerable group, are also the group getting vaccinated at the highest rate. When Biden took office, only 8 percent of seniors had received a vaccine shot, but now that number has increased to over 75 percent. Over 80 percent of teachers, school staff, and childcare workers had received at least one shot by the end of March, which is a critical step toward another of Biden’s goals for his first hundred days: reopening all elementary and middle schools. And Biden also announced a federal investment of nearly $10 billion to expand testing, treatment, and vaccinations for impoverished communities.
Returning to “Normal”
Even though the current vaccination numbers are encouraging, it is important to remember that only 75 million Americans have received a full dose of vaccinations. The total population is 330 million. As of April 14th, data from the Centers of Disease Control show that 47 percent of American adults (18 years old and older) had received one dose and 29 percent are fully vaccinated.
It also takes time for the vaccine to take effect. Some of the vaccines require two shots before a person is fully protected, and those two shots must be scheduled several weeks apart. People are not fully vaccinated until two weeks after the second shot is administered.