Half of American adults have now been fully vaccinated


The United States has reached a significant COVID-19 pandemic milestone.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data confirmed on Tuesday that half of U.S. adults, or more than 129 million Americans, are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, ABC News reports. Additionally, about 164 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC.
This comes after President Biden said earlier this month he was aiming for 160 million American adults to be fully vaccinated and for 70 percent of U.S. adults to have received at least one vaccine dose by July 4, which he said would be a "serious step towards a return to normal."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Of course, Americans can still get shots after July 4th, but no one should wait," Biden also said at the time. "Let's try to hit that 70 percent mark."
White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt on Tuesday celebrated this "major milestone in our country's vaccination efforts," per CNN, urging those who haven't yet been vaccinated to "find whatever reason you want to" do so. Slavitt added that those on the fence about getting vaccinated can "talk to your doctor or your pharmacist" but shouldn't "let some guy on Facebook answer your question when good answers are available."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Five years on: How Covid changed everything
Feature We seem to have collectively forgotten Covid’s horrors, but they have completely reshaped politics
By The Week US
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreads
Speed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US