America is reaching a major milestone in vaccination: HALF of all adults have now received at least one injection, CDC reveals
- Half of American adults received at least one injection of the COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC says
- About 130 million Americans 18 or older have received at least one dose
- About two-thirds of those – 84 million – are fully vaccinated, the CDC says
- Officials are likely to resume administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week
- CDC ordered a single dose break after rare cases of blood clots
Half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 shot, the government announced Sunday, another milestone in the country’s largest-ever vaccination campaign, but more needs to be done to convince skeptical Americans of the sleeves to roll up.
Nearly 130 million people 18 or older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, or 50.4 percent of the total adult population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
Nearly 84 million adults, or about 32.5 percent of the population, are fully vaccinated.
The US cleared the 50 percent adult mark just a day after the reported global death toll from the coronavirus hit a whopping 3 million, according to totals compiled by Johns Hopkins University, although the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.
A registered nurse will administer a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine on Saturday at a vaccination pop-up site of a Veterans Administration (VA) Long Beach Healthcare System in Gardena, California.
In other developments, the country’s top infectious diseases expert said on Sunday that the government is likely to resume use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine this week, possibly with restrictions or broader warnings following reports of some very rare cases of blood clots.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a series of interviews with news shows that he expects a decision when advisers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meet Friday to discuss the break in J & J’s single-dose vaccine.
“I would be very surprised if we don’t have a resume in some form or another on Friday,” he said.
“I don’t really expect them to want to stretch it any longer.”
As of Sunday, nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose. According to the CDC, more than 50 percent of adults have been given at least one chance
Nearly 84 million adults, or about 32.5 percent of the population, are fully vaccinated
Fauci, who is President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said he believed federal regulators could bring the shots back with age or gender restrictions or with a general warning so that it is administered in a way “ a little different. ” than we were for the break. ‘
The J&J vaccine was in limbo after the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration said last week they needed more evidence to decide if a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to the injection – and if so, how big it was. risk.
The reports are rare – six cases of more than 7 million US vaccinations with J&J vaccine.
The clots were found in six women between the ages of 18 and 48. One person died.
The acting FDA commissioner had said she expected the break to last only a few days.
Still, Tuesday’s decision sparked swift action in Europe and elsewhere.
Fauci said he had serious doubts that the US would permanently discontinue use of the J&J vaccine.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said.
‘The break was to take a look, make sure we know all the information we might have within that time frame, and also warn some of the doctors that people, especially women, who might have this particular side effect. see they treat them properly. ‘
“I think it will probably say,” Okay, we’re going to use it. But be careful under these circumstances. “
In the US, more than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been given, the vast majority with no or mild side effects.
Authorities stressed that they have found no signs of clot problems with the most commonly used COVID-19 vaccines in the US – from Moderna and Pfizer.
Fauci has appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, CNN’s State of the Union, ABC’s This Week and CBS ‘Face the Nation.