President Biden has said he wants to see 70 percent of American adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4, but for this to happen, roughly 16 million people have to receive their first dose in the next few weeks, The Associated Press reports.
Two months ago, almost 2 million people were getting vaccinated per day, and that has since dropped to 400,000 a day. In 14 states, at least 70 percent of adults have had at least one vaccine, and 12 other states are on track to hit this target by July 4. Jeff Zients, the White House COVID-19 coordinator, asked governors in a conference call Tuesday to pull "out all the stops" to increase vaccinations in June. "We need your leadership on the ground — which is where it matters the most — more than ever," he said.
In Mississippi, only 34 percent of the population is vaccinated, and Gov. Tate Reeves (R) called Biden's 70 percent goal "arbitrary, to say the least." With vaccination rates as low as they are in the state, it would take almost an entire year for Mississippi to reach a 70 percent vaccination rate, AP reports. On Sunday, Reeves told CNN he wants people to get vaccinated, but it's more important that cases are dropping in the state.
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.
There are still concerns over variants spreading in the United States, like the Delta variant that surged in India and is now the dominant strain in the United Kingdom. It's believed to be deadlier and able to spread faster, and such variants are one of the reasons why more Americans need to get vaccinated, public health experts say. Incentives have been shown to work — in Ohio, after Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced a $1 million lottery for vaccinated adults, there was a 43 percent increase in the number of vaccinations in the state. That was only temporary, though, and the numbers were down a week later.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the rightSpeed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
The new Stratus Covid strain – and why it’s on the riseThe Explainer ‘No evidence’ new variant is more dangerous or that vaccines won’t work against it, say UK health experts
-
RFK Jr. vaccine panel advises restricting MMRV shotSpeed Read The committee voted to restrict access to a childhood vaccine against chickenpox
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreakSpeed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agencySpeed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year highSpeed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, changeSpeed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panelspeed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
