By Mariel Gousios
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/science/moderna-vaccine-fda-approval.htmlÂ
Within the first 92 days of Biden’s presidency 200 million vaccines were administered. This completely surpasses his original goal of 100 million vaccines within the first 100 days. Already, we can see that America is changing as covid rates are going down across the country. As vaccines continue to be administered, albeit, at a slower rate, we should continue to see progress in the months to come.
With 200 million vaccines being administered it’s clear that vaccines are not just for at-risk groups anymore. On April 21, 2021, in a speech about vaccines, Biden stated, “The first three months of our vaccination program focused on targeting vaccines to specific high-risk groups. Now our objective is to reach everyone — everyone over the age of 16 in America.” Additionally, as of May 17th, everyone 12 years old and older can get the vaccine. Biden’s statement is becoming more and more relevant as the vaccines are becoming eligible for a larger demographic. About 52% of the U.S. had at least one shot of a vaccine as of early June, even though more than 80% of the U.S. is eligible.
However, even though vaccination rates are slowing down, covid cases are continuing to decline. On May 17, 2021, Biden commented on the trends of covid-19 in the United States, saying “today, for the first time since the pandemic began, cases — pandemic cases are down in all 50 states.” Biden also established that if the vaccination percentage stops altogether, those rates may increase again.
His message from both speeches is clear, we have made incredible progress but there is still more progress to be made. While the United States is opening up again, more people should try and get vaccinated or follow the CDC guidelines to keep America safe for all.
