WASHINGTON — The White House announced Friday morning that 100 million Americans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said nearly 40% of all adult Americans have received their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. A person is typically considered truly fully vaccinated when it is two weeks after that point.
While 55% of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 shot, there's still a ways to go.
Demand for vaccines has started to fall around the country, something health officials expected would happen once the most vulnerable and most eager to get the shot had the opportunity to do so. Now the vaccination drive is moving into a new, more targeted phase.
Zients explained during Friday's briefing by the White House COVID-19 Response Team that they expect the number of shots that will be administered each day moving forward to "moderate and fluctuate."
Believing most Americans who have yet to get a shot would do so if it were easier, the White House has deployed billions of dollars toward ads encouraging shots, community programs to bring doses to the hardest to reach Americans, and tax credits to encourage employers to give their workers paid time off to get protected.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murphy said the administration is working to build vaccine confidence and described it as an "all-hands on deck" moment for the country.
During the briefing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said she believes that July 1, 2021, is a "reasonable" target for reopening the country. But, she said this is only an appropriate date if vaccinations and cases continue at the current pace.
The CDC on Tuesday unveiled new guidance lessening requirements for outdoor mask-wearing, especially for vaccinated people.
COVID-19 deaths are down to fewer than 700 per day, and average daily cases are below 60,000. U.S. officials insist there is a long way to go before the country can be fully at ease, but the progress is marked.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.