President Joe Biden said Thursday that his administration’s goal of administering 100 million COVID-19 vaccinations to Americans in his first 100 days in office is on track to be surpassed as soon as Friday—six weeks ahead of schedule.
“I’m proud to announce that tomorrow, 58 days into our administration, we will have met my goal of administering 100 million shots to our fellow Americans. That’s weeks ahead of schedule,” Biden said at the White House Thursday afternoon.
Biden noted that as of Thursday, 65 percent of Americans age 65 and above had received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose, and 36 percent have been fully vaccinated.
“And that’s key—because this is a population that represents 80 percent of the well over 500,000 COVID-19 deaths that have occurred in America,” he said.
The president last week estimated that his administration expected to reach the goal on day 60.
He told reporters Thursday that he plans to outline a new COVID-19 vaccination goal by next week, as the United States is on track to have enough of the three currently authorized jabs—Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson—to cover the nation’s adult population just 10 weeks from now.
“This is a time for optimism, but it’s not a time for relaxation. I need all Americans, I need all of you to do your part. Wash your hands, stay socially distanced, keep masking up as recommended by the CDC, and get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Now is not the time to let down our guard,” he said.
“Scientists have made clear things may get worse as new variants of this virus spread. Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to fight back against these variants,” Biden added. “While millions of people are vaccinated, we need millions more to be vaccinated.”
The president urged Americans to get vaccinated as doses become more widely available.
“I need you to get vaccinated when it’s your turn, when you’re able to do that. I need your help. I need you to help. Not just the country, but your family, your friends, your neighbors, get them vaccinated as well,” Biden said.
“If we keep our guard up, stick together, and stick with the science, we can look forward to a Fourth of July that feels a bit more normal with small groups able to gather for cookouts in backyards, and where we would begin to declare our independence on Independence Day from the virus.”
The president’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told NBC News on Thursday that the daily number of new CCP virus infections is “much too high to be declaring victory.”
“It really is going to be a race between the vaccine and the potential surge,” Fauci said.
