(Photo : Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 13: White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients (L) and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci brief reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. Federal health agencies called for a pause in the administration of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine after six women in the United States developed a rare disorder involving blood clots within about two weeks of vaccination.
United States President Joe Biden's administration recently announced it will not meet its goal of vaccinating at least partially inoculating 70% of American adults against the COVID-19 virus by July 4.
When the Democrat announced his objective, he admitted it was going to be a challenge to reach the desired numbers, and on Tuesday, the White House acknowledged the fact it would need more time to reach its goals. However, some age groups will reach the target number of vaccinations by the deadline.
The Biden administration has tracked that the age group of 30 and older has already reached the milestone of being at least 70% partially vaccinated. White House estimates also suggest the age group of 27 and older will be able to hit the mark by the Fourth of July weekend.
Meeting the Vaccination Goal
Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said the government needed a few more weeks to meet its objective of at least partially vaccinating 70% of American adults. He said the initial deadline was set as a motivational banner to shoot for, which they have exceeded for most of the adult population, USA Today reported.
The numbers show that Biden's administration has fully vaccinated 150 million American adults, which is expected to reach 160 million no later than mid-July. Zients noted that the focus is now on the age group of 18 to 26 years old. To reach its goal, the White House would be working closely with local and state leaders to provide opportunities for residents to be vaccinated.
The majority of younger Americans felt like the coronavirus pandemic did not affect them as much as it did older folks who are more at risk of contracting severe symptoms. This meant that they are less motivated to get vaccinated compared to the older population, Zients said.
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the failure of Biden's administration to meet the set goal was not due to something in the process going wrong. She noted it was due to setting an ambitious goal and falling short of that objective. The official noted the government only needs a couple more weeks after the Fourth of July to meet the desired numbers.
Despite the public acknowledgment of the failure to reach the vaccination goal, the White House is already moving forward with plans to celebrate the Fourth of July on the South Lawn. It is estimated that 1,000 guests will attend the event. It would celebrate the majority of the country going back to a sense of normalcy since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, CNN reported.
Dangers of Missing Vaccinations
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's top infectious disease expert, warned officials of the potential threat that residents not wanting to get vaccinated would pose to the health and safety of the whole nation. Localized surges could result from hesitating to gett the COVID-19 vaccine, he said.
The medical expert's worries have been fueled by the sudden surge of the Delta variant, which is much more transmissible than the original COVID-19 strain. The new variant is linked to 20% of all new infections across the country. Data showed that the Delta variant will become the most dominant strain of the coronavirus in the United States, the New York Times reported.
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