By Anvi Atreja
About 130 million American adults have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That’s half of all adults in the country. This data comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Of the 130 million, 84 million are fully vaccinated, with two shots of either the Pfizer, or Moderna vaccine, or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson. Experts say that at least 70% of the population must be immune before the virus is under control. The U.S. could potentially vaccinate 70% by mid-June.
But there is still work to be done. 25% of American adults are unwilling to get vaccinated. Currently, the U.S. is averaging 67,000 new COVID-19 cases a day. Last month, it was 54,000 a day.
But overall, the number of people willing to get vaccinated has been rising. And more people are becoming eligible. Now, anyone 16 or older can get a vaccine. Earlier this year, Pfizer requested authorization to make children 12 to 15 eligible for its vaccine. That could happen by the fall.
“We’re making tremendous progress,” President Joe Biden said on April 18th. “But we’re still in a race against this virus, and we need to vaccinate tens of millions more Americans.”