Biden says getting there before the end of summer will be difficult

President Joe Biden will not pledge to achieve herd immunity against coronavirus in the U.S. in late summer, suggesting a long way to defeat the deadly virus.

“The idea that this can be done and get the herd’s immunity long before it ends this summer is very difficult,” the Democrat said in an interview aired on CBS Sunday before the Super Bowl.

The comment responded to a request from journalist Norah O’Donnell, who said that at the current rate of about 1.3 million doses a day, it would take almost a year to vaccinate enough Americans to get immunity. of the herd.

The White House has set a target of at least 100 million doses in the first 100 days of Biden, although the pace of vaccinations is currently higher. Biden appeared to be reaching his goal late last month saying he believes the U.S. could administer up to 1.5 million doses a day.

Biden’s cautious remarks are in line with warnings from scientists and public health officials, as well as his past statements. They mark an investment with respect to the approach of Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump, who often claimed that the end of the pandemic was just around the corner.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading epidemiologist, has said that a minimum of 75% of the public would need to be inoculated against Covid-19 to achieve herd immunity. He has predicted a return to normalcy some time next fall.

Biden also said during the interview that he was exploring new ways to vaccinate more Americans faster.

He said he supported a National Football League proposal to use its 30 stadiums as mass vaccination centers, but stopped committing to the plan.

“I’m telling my team they’re available and I think we’ll use them,” Biden said.

The virus has killed more than 460,000 people in the U.S. and infected nearly 27 million.