The United States on Friday surpassed a significant milestone to end the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 100 million people receiving at least one dose of vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What you need to know
- More than 100 million Americans have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data
- As of Friday afternoon, 30.7% of the U.S. population has received at least one shot, while 17.5% have been completely vaccinated
- The Biden administration announced on Friday that 20 million shots have been fired in the last seven days, an average of 2.9 million doses a day.
- But the number of new coronavirus cases continues to rise, fueling fears that the country may be heading for a fourth wave.
The number on Friday in the early afternoon was 101.8 million, 30.7% of the population. About 58 million are completely vaccinated: 17.5% of the population.
“It’s really inspiring for me to see so many Americans embracing vaccination,” said CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “We know that the massive increase in vaccination is the key to protecting the American people and getting closer to our normal lives.”
Nearly three-quarters of Americans age 65 and older have received at least one shot, while 53.5% are completely vaccinated.
The Biden administration announced on Friday that 20 million shots have been administered over the past seven days, an average of 2.9 million doses a day, a new high.
“This is an unprecedented pace,” said Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 coordinator. “No other country has vaccinated so many people so quickly.”
President Joe Biden had set a May 1 target date for states to open vaccine eligibility to all adults. He announced earlier this week that the country is on track to enable 90% of adults to be eligible before April 19th.
Meanwhile, as states relax more security measures and extend variants, the number of new coronavirus cases continues to rise, fueling fears that the country may be heading for a fourth wave.
According to CDC data, there were about 75,000 new infections on Thursday, the most recorded since Feb. 24. The seven-day average for new cases is 63,727, up nearly 11,000 from two weeks ago.
Nine hundred and seven more people died from the virus on Thursday, bringing the death toll in the U.S. to more than 550,000, according to CDC numbers.
In a speech Friday, Biden implored Americans not to treat the pandemic as if it were over.
“It simply came to our notice then. Don’t give back the progress we have all fought so hard to achieve, ”he said. “We have to finish this job. We need all Americans to retire and keep guard on this stretch of house. Put on your mask, keep your distance from each other, wash your hands and get vaccinated when it’s your turn. This is how we will defeat the virus, eliminate the weight of the pandemic that will slow down our economy. “