President Joe Biden will mark the latest milestone of administering 300 million COVID-19 shots in 150 days during Friday afternoon remarks, according to a White House official.
“Today, the President will mark the milestone that the United States has administered 300 million shots in 150 days,” the official said prior to Biden’s remarks. “Thanks to the president’s whole-of-government vaccination effort, the virus is in retreat, which has brought COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths down to their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic last year. The president will also make clear that there is more work to be done, and highlight the ongoing work by the Biden-Harris Administration to achieve equity in our pandemic response.”
Currently, over 175 million Americans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination, according to the official. 55% of adults in the country are fully vaccinated, as are 87% of seniors.
The Biden administration has focused its efforts on making the vaccine more accessible – in part by increasing the number of places Americans can get the shot – and promoting the vaccine in various ways. Biden announced a “month of action” in an effort to get 70% of American adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4.
The administration so far appears likely to fall short of this goal, CNBC reported. If the country keeps pace with its most recent seven-day average, America will see 67% of adults partially vaccinated by July 4, the publication added.
US Vice President Kamala Harris congratulates a man who just received his Covid-19 vaccination as she tours a vaccination clinic at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 18, 2021. (ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite the fact that the goal is unlikely to be reached, the White House plans to celebrate the country’s progress with an outdoor party July 4, Forbes reported. White House press secretary Jen Psaki previously told reporters that the administration isn’t “shutting down shop” no matter where the numbers lie.
“On July 5, we’re going to continue to press to vaccinate more people across the country,” Psaki said. (RELATED: Fauci Warns Of Highly Infectious COVID-19 ‘Delta’ Variant, Urges Americans To Get Fully Vaccinated)
As COVID-19 cases decline, more states are beginning to reopen after a year of restrictions. Biden is likely to tout his administration’s effort to bring more shots into the arms of Americans during Friday’s remarks.
Vice President Kamala Harris is also pushing the COVID-19 vaccine Friday in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris will visit a Baptist church’s pop-up vaccination clinic and go to a “vaccination mobilization event” in the area.