Washington (AFP)
The United States reached the rate of 70% of adults on Monday who received at least one dose of the anti-Covid vaccine, nearly a month behind the date set by President Biden as a target to reach this threshold.
Data from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the main health agency in the United States, shows that 60.6% of adults, and 49.7% of the total population are now fully immunized.
Joe Biden initially posted the goal of reaching the 70% figure on July 4, U.S. National Day, as a symbol of victory over the pandemic.
But the slowdown in the vaccination campaign, particularly in the traditionally conservative regions of the South and Midwest, as well as among the youngest, poorest, and ethnic minority populations, has prevented the country from achieving this goal. .
The United States has, however, observed a rebound in the vaccination rate in recent weeks in the regions most affected by the recent wave of Covid-19, caused in large part by the emergence of the highly contagious variant Delta.
States like Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, and Florida have all seen significant increases in their vaccination rates.
The average number of daily cases nationwide now exceeds 60,000 and is growing rapidly.
However, with 80% of those over 65 fully vaccinated, the number of hospitalizations and deaths is increasing at a much slower rate than in previous waves.
While even a single dose of the messenger RNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna offered strong protection against previous variants, new scientific studies have demonstrated the need for two doses against the Delta variant.
The need for a third dose for certain groups, such as the immunocompromised, is even currently being assessed by federal health authorities.
The CDC also reinstated its recommendation to wear the mask indoors in high-risk areas, even for those vaccinated, after a preliminary analysis suggested that those vaccinated, positive for Covid-19 with the Delta variant, were able to transmit the virus to others.
© 2021 AFP