The United States on Monday hit the Biden administration’s goal of administering at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose to 70 percent of American adults, reaching the milestone just shy of one month late.
White House Covid-19 Data Director Cyrus Shahpar announced the milestone on Twitter, disclosing that the seven-day average of newly vaccinated Americans is at its highest point since July 4. In the Tweet, Shahpar said at least 70 percent of adults have gotten at least one shot.
The Biden administration spent weeks touting its much-publicized goal of hitting the 70 percent vaccination mark by the July Fourth holiday, a date the White House nonetheless celebrated as something of a return to normal for a pandemic-weary nation. Even after the nation fell short of his vaccination goal, President Joe Biden hosted a celebratory barbecue at the White House for military members, frontline workers and first responders.
Vaccination numbers continued to flag over the course of the summer though as skeptical segments of the U.S. population refused shots, despite an intense publicity push and million-dollar-lottery incentives in several states. Vaccination rates have climbed in recent days, buoyed in part by the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, which has spiked cases and hospitalizations nationwide — hitting areas with low vaccination rates especially hard.
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that vaccinated individuals with breakthrough cases for Covid-19 can still spread the virus, but their rates of severe symptoms and hospitalization are far lower than they are for the unvaccinated — making the push to get Americans vaccinated all the more urgent as the contagious variant spreads.
Shahpar’s Tweet celebrated the vaccination achievement, calling it “Milestone Monday,” and emphasized the need to continue vaccination efforts. “Let’s continue working to get more eligible vaccinated!” he said.
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