More than 100 million Americans have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
101.8 million Americans total have gotten at least one shot, and 54.4 million of them are fully vaccinated, according to The Washington Post. Those figures indicate that approximately 40% of U.S. adults have at least some protection from the virus via a vaccine, while about 20% are fully inoculated.
VACCINATION MILESTONE: 100 million Americans have now had at least one dose of the vaccine.
This is an amazing logistical feat and a credit to people in every part of the country.
— Andy Slavitt (@aslavitt46) April 1, 2021
While most of the vaccine doses administered in the U.S. are made by Pfizer and Moderna, which require two doses for full protection, research has indicated that even with only the first shot, a significant level of safety is provided.
Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine has been in distribution for about one month, but it hasn’t yet been produced in the quantities of the other two options. (RELATED: White House ‘Assured’ Vaccine Supply Won’t Be Interrupted By Johnson & Johnson Factory Debacle)
President Joe Biden recently moved his goal for vaccinations from 100 million doses in his first 100 days to 200 million doses in the same time period. The country was already on track to hit the initial goal when Biden took office and surpassed it easily, and the new goal looks likely to be shattered as well, with the current vaccination rate at roughly three million per day.
Biden has also said that there will be enough vaccine supply for all American adults by the end of May. If current vaccination rates hold, the U.S. will be able to fully vaccinate over 60% of American adults in that time frame. However, the U.S. vaccination rate has increased consistently since the vaccine campaign started, and there’s no indication that it won’t continue to do so.
There is also still a portion of Americans who are not interested in getting a vaccine. Estimates are between 3% and 10%, according to recent polling. (RELATED: ANALYSIS: There Is One Key Factor In Herd Immunity Everyone Seems To Be Ignoring)
Scientists estimate somewhere between 70% and 90% of Americans need protection against the virus for society to reach herd immunity. With 60% or more of American adults on pace to be fully vaccinated by the end of May, plus thirty million Americans who have had the virus, the U.S. looks set to reach herd immunity some time in the very near future.
