Even the most vaccinated state in the U.S. falls short of similar efforts in Portugal, Chile, and Singapore, according to The New York Times and the Mayo Clinic.
More specifically, although Vermont leads the country in its percentage of fully vaccinated adults (having administered two doses to 69.3 percent of residents, per the Mayo Clinic), Portugal, Singapore, and Chile have fully vaccinated 84 percent, 79 percent, and 74 percent of their populations, respectively, according to the Times.
In fact, as of Monday, there were still 15 other countries ahead of Vermont in terms of percentage fully vaccinated, including Canada, Belgium, and Uruguay, among others. The U.S. as a whole is ranked 42nd in the world, with a double jab rate of 55 percent. President Biden had previously set a goal to have 70 percent of Americans at least partially vaccinated by July 4. He is still 6 percent shy of reaching that goal, per the Times' data.
Portugal is the current worldwide vax champion, having administered shots to about 84 percent of its population, reports Forbes, as well as the Times. The country began vaccinations at the same pace as other European countries, but an efficient campaign and "low levels of anti-vaccine sentiment" helped move things right along, Forbes writes. Rear Adm. Henrique Gouveia e Melo, the naval officer who took charge of vaccine rollout in February, also focused more on "large vaccination hubs" rather than small-scale distribution. Read more at The New York Times and Forbes.