President Joe Biden.Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty
PresidentJoe Bidenwill reachhis goal of seeing the U.S. administer 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses during his first 100 days in officeon Friday, well ahead of schedule.
The country will reach that milestone on his 58th day in office, more than 40 days early.
“We’re going to beat this, we’re way ahead of schedule, but we’ve got a long way to go,” Biden said in a speech on Thursday,NPR reported.
The presidentfirst announced his planto administer 100 million doses in 100 days in December, before coming into office, and it was thought to be a tough, but possible goal. After Biden was sworn in, his administration discovered that the Trump administration did not leave the promised stockpile of vaccines, complicating that goal. But afterpurchasing more dosesof Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccine, along with Johnson & Johnson’s, which was approved for emergency use in February, vaccinations picked up, andaround 2.5 million dosesare now being administered a day.
Biden said Thursday that he would announce a new goal for vaccinations next week and urged anyone who is still hesitant to get their vaccine.
“We need millions more to get vaccinated,” he said, explaining that wider participation is needed to end the pandemic.
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In total, 115,730,008 doses have been administered since the first vaccine, from Pfizer, was approved for emergency use in December. About one in four Americans, 75,495,716, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than one in ten, 40,981,464, are now fully vaccinated.
Biden emphasized on Thursday that vaccines will help end the pandemic, noting thatsome states are seeing a rise in casesas newer variants spread through the country.
“Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to fight back against these variants,” he said.
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source: people.com
