More than 100 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday, marking a milestone in the effort to end the pandemic.
The latest update to the CDC website shows 101,128,005 coronavirus vaccine doses had been administered as of early Friday morning, March 12, nearly three months since the nation’s first immunization.
More than 35 million people in the country are now fully vaccinated, or around 10.5% of the population, including 13.5% of adults and 32.4% of adults ages 65 and older, according to the CDC website.
Nearly one-in-five Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC. It is administered in either one or two doses depending on the manufacturer.
Sandra Lindsay, an intensive-care nurse from New York, became the first person in the U.S. known to be inoculated with a coronavirus vaccine when she received her first shot on Dec. 14.
More than 16.5 million vaccine doses had been administered by the time former President Trump left office on Jan. 20, the CDC said at the time.
President Biden has since vowed to have 150 million coronavirus vaccine doses administered in his first 100 days in office. He said Thursday that all adults should be eligible to receive one by May.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the current U.S. population is roughly 330 million. More than 29.5 million cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus causes, have been confirmed in the U.S. since January 2020.
More than a half-million Americans have died coronavirus-related deaths since the outbreak erupted early last year. The World Health Organization designated the health crisis a pandemic last March.
COVID-19 is highly contagious and most dangerous to individuals over the age of 65 or with pre-existing health conditions. Public health officials strongly urge people to wear masks in public and practice social distancing to prevent the disease from spreading.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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