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As previously reported, the Biden administration on Tuesday conceded it would narrowly miss its goal of administering one or more doses of a Covid vaccine to 70 percent of US adults by July 4.
“We think it’ll take a few extra weeks to get to 70 percent of all adults with at least one shot,” said Jeffrey Zients, head of the White House Covid response team.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 65% of the adult population has gotten at least one shot, and 56% are fully vaccinated. At current rates, the U.S. is on track to get to about 67% people with at least one shot by July 4.
But the vaccination rate has been declining since April when it hit a peak average of 3.4 million daily shots. The latest average is around 850,000 daily shots.
Adult vaccination rates vary greatly by state. The Northeast has some of the highest uptakes, with Vermont leading the charge at 84 percent partially vaccinated and 75 percent fully vaccinated.
The bottom of the table is dominated by states in the South, with Mississippi covering just 45 percent of adults with one shot and 37 percent with two.
According to nationally representative surveys carried out by the Kaiser Family Foundation, unvaccinated adults are significantly younger, less educated, more likely to be Republicans, people of color, and uninsured.
Despite missing the Independence Day goal, Zients said the administration had “succeeded beyond our highest expectations” in returning the nation to a pre-pandemic normal.
“Instead of just small backyard gatherings, America is getting ready for a truly historic Fourth of July, with large celebrations planned in communities across the country,” he said.
He added the White House would invite 1,000 people, including military and frontline workers, to celebrate the holiday at an outdoor party.
