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70% Americans above 30 years partially vaccinated: White House

The US administration under Biden is now eyeing to vaccinate 70% of Americans above 27 with at least one dose by July 4. In a revamped strategy, the White House will now focus on vaccinating younger Americans in 18-26 age group, who have proved to be least likely to get a vaccine when it's available for them.

Updated on: Jun 23, 2021, 01:55:15 IST
By | Edited by , New Delhi
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In sync with United States President Joe Biden's vaccination goal for the nation, more than 70% of Americans above the age of 30 have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, the White House said on Tuesday. This milestone comes close on the heels of the US falling short of reaching the July 4-goal of vaccinating all American adults by Independence Day.

Visitors gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, US, on Sunday, June 20, 2021. (Bloomberg)
Visitors gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, US, on Sunday, June 20, 2021. (Bloomberg)

The US administration under Biden is now eyeing to vaccinate 70% of Americans above 27 with at least one dose by July 4. In a revamped strategy, the White House will now focus on vaccinating younger Americans in 18-26 age group, who have proved to be least likely to get a vaccine when it's available for them.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday pointed towards the reluctance among younger American adults for getting vaccine doses, as they are turning to Covid-19 vaccines at a slower rate than older adults. This is likely to hamper the Covid-19 vaccination coverage trajectory in the United States. If the reluctance continues in the pace of vaccination till the month of August, the vaccine coverage among younger adults will not reach the level seen in older adults, the CDC pointed out.

About 45% of the US population has been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Over 53% of Americans have received at least one dose of vaccine. But US demand for shots has slumped, to the disappointment of public health experts.

Biden's vaccination goal, the White House said, is less important than the pace of the nation's reopening. The US is exceeding by its own internal projections as the major push to vaccinate every citizen which is visible in the overwhelming majority of the nation's most vulnerable people who are fully vaccinated. In another marker, fresh infections and deaths in the US are at their lowest rates since the earliest days of the pandemic.

However, the nationwide rate of new vaccinations has dropped off precipitously over the past month even as shots have become more available, with fewer than 300,000 Americans now getting their first dose per day on average.

A report from US CDC, Americans at the highest risk for complications from Covid-19 are overwhelmingly vaccinated. Only 53% aged 25-39 have received one dose. Among those 18-24, it's 47%.

“What we’ve seen, as we’ve dug into the data, is that there is a big gap between individuals 25 and over, and 18 to 25,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. “That means that’s an area we need to continue to work on."

Vaccine hesitancy is a global problem nations have encountered but the health experts and scientists have underlined how crucial vaccines are in the race against time with mutating viruses.

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