Residents wait in line to be vaccinated at a massive COVID-19 vaccination center installed in a parking lot outside the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, on March 10, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois.
Scott Olson | Getty Images
The United States on Friday surpassed 100 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine administered, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 35 million people have been fully vaccinated, corresponding to 13.5% of the US adult population, according to the CDC. More than 65.9 million people received at least one injection from the two-dose regimens, the CDC said.
The milestone includes 16.5 million vaccines administered under the Trump administration, but it brings President Joe Biden closer to his goal of getting 100 million vaccines in his first 100 days in office.
Of those 65 and over, more than 32% were fully vaccinated and more than 61% received at least one dose, according to the CDC. This is notable because about 80% of deaths caused by Covid-19 in the United States occurred among people aged 65 and over.
The government has gradually accelerated the pace of vaccinations since Biden took office. The White House originally tried to administer one million injections a day, which some public health experts have criticized as a low target. On Friday, according to the CDC, the US administered a record 2.9 million shots.
There are now three Covid-19 vaccines that have received an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Moderna and Pfizer two-dose vaccines were authorized for emergency use in December and the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine was released last month.
The White House has been working with manufacturers to accelerate production and increase the total supply of vaccines destined for the United States. On Wednesday, Biden announced that the government plans to guarantee 100 million additional doses of the J&J vaccine.
J&J currently has an agreement with the U.S. government to supply 100 million doses by the end of June, although White House officials said this week that the company will be able to deliver those doses by the end of May. This is thanks to an agreement in which rival Merck, from J&J, will help to make doses of the vaccine, White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said on Friday.
Zients added that Moderna and Pfizer are expected to deliver 200 million doses of their vaccines each by the end of May.
“This is more than enough to vaccinate all adult Americans by the end of May,” said Zients. “Now we need to increase the number of vaccinators, as we speak, and the number of places where Americans can be vaccinated.”
Biden on Thursday used his first prime-time speech to the nation to ask states to make all adults eligible for Covid’s vaccines by May 1. Although the CDC sets out guidelines on who should be prioritized for vaccines while supply is limited, states reach the final decision. Alaska started to open eligibility before Biden’s speech.
Some public health experts are concerned that, although demand for vaccines was high at the initial launch, as demand becomes more available, demand may decline.
Biden, in his speech on Thursday night, urged Americans to continue to follow public health measures and to be vaccinated when it is their turn. He also set a goal for Americans to be able to meet in person with their friends and loved ones in small groups to celebrate the 4th of July, if the pandemic continues to subside in the United States.
“If we all do our part, this country will be vaccinated soon, our economy will be recovering, our children will be back to school and we will have proved once again that this country can do anything,” said Biden. But “if we don’t stay vigilant and conditions change, we may have to re-establish restrictions to get back on track.”
FIX: This article has been updated to reflect that President Joe Biden has not yet reached his goal of administering 100 million doses of vaccine in his first 100 days.