WASHINGTON – More than half of US adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, government data showed yesterday, as the White House bids to beat a worrying surge in new cases.
Roughly 130 million Americans aged 18 and over have received a shot, representing 50.4% of the adult population, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Around 84 million adults are fully vaccinated – 32.5% of the adult population.
The US is a world leader in vaccinations, but a recent surge in new daily infections prompted top pandemic adviser Anthony Fauci to warn yesterday that the country remains in a “precarious position”.
White House efforts to speed up vaccinations hit a snag when health authorities reported six cases of young women developing a clotting disorder after taking the Johnson & Johnson shot.
A government-convened expert panel has been assessing the issue and a decision on whether to end a pause on J&J vaccinations is likely by Friday, Fauci told ABC’s This Week.
“I believe we’ll get back with it,” he said, though he added that there may be some restrictions or warnings on its use.
The CDC says 109 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine have been administered, along with 92 million doses from Moderna and 7.9 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. – AFP, April 19, 2021
