US

White House Reaches Long-Awaited 70% Vaccination Goal

(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Dylan Housman Deputy News Editor
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The U.S. has finally crossed a long-awaited vaccination threshold targeted by the White House.

Seventy percent of American adults have been vaccinated with at least one dose against COVID-19 as of Monday, according to White House COVID-19 Data Director Cyrus Shahpar. The 7-day average of new vaccinations is at the highest point since July 4.

More than 60% of adults are fully vaccinated, and 90% of seniors have at least one dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vaccination rates have begun to slowly tick back up in recent weeks as the Delta variant rapidly spreads throughout unvaccinated communities across the U.S.

In the past week, more than 660,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered per day in the U.S. That’s a 14% increase over the previous week, according to The Washington Post. The 7-day average peaked at over 3.3 million doses per day in mid-April, before declining to a low of just over 500,000 per day in the week following July 4. (RELATED: Biden Administration Indicates They Are Open To More Lockdowns If Scientists Recommend Them)

The Biden administration failed to reach the goal of vaccinating 70% of Americans by July 4, as vaccination rates plummeted once the CDC lifted mask recommendations for vaccinated individuals in May. According to the CDC, breakthrough COVID-19 cases among vaccinated individuals are still very rare and the overwhelming majority of current COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated.

President Joe Biden announced last week he would be mandating COVID-19 vaccinations or proof of negative tests for federal employees while the administration continues to conduct outreach to unvaccinated communities encouraging them to get the jab.