CDC data indicate U.S. is on track for July 4 vaccination target

Associated Press | Saturday, May 29, 2021 11:33 p.m.

Justin Bishop, 13, watches as Registered Nurse Jennifer Reyes inoculates him with the first dose of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine at the Mount Sinai South Nassau Vaxmobile parked at the De La Salle School in Freeport, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

The United States is on track to reach a goal calling for 70% of adults to have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine by July 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New data released Saturday indicates that more that half of all adults in the United States — or more than 51% — are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, marking another milestone in the country’s pandemic recovery.

All told, 167.2 million people 18 years or older have received at least one dose, according to the CDC data.

President Joe Biden set a goal earlier this month of hitting the first milestone by July 4, when Independence Day is celebrated.

The target was expected to be reached, with the number standing at 61% more than a month out.

Still, the pace of vaccinations varies across the country, with the northeast and West Coast among the regions with the highest take up while the south has moved more slowly.

The CDC indicated that speaking of the entire U.S. population of 330 million, around 40% of the population are already fully vaccinated now.

Three vaccines are in use in the US: the two manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, which are administered in two doses, as well as the single-shot Johnson & Johnson jab.

This month US authorities extended the authorization of Pfizer/BioNTech’s shot to children as young as 12.