U.S. maintains strong vaccination pace as some states inch toward 50% of residents with at least one jab
Dr. Jerry Abraham, director of Kedren Vaccines, right, gives a COVID-19 vaccination to Jose Guzman-Wug, 16, while his mom, Adriana Wug, watches at Kedren Health on Thursday, April 15, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA.
Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
The rate of daily vaccine doses reported administered in the U.S. held above 3 million for the ninth straight day Thursday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with multiple states nearing the halfway point for residents with at least one shot.
At the same time, the rate of daily new Covid-19 cases nationwide remains elevated. The U.S. is reporting nearly 70,500 new infections per day, based on a seven-day average of Johns Hopkins University data, up 7% from a week ago.
U.S. vaccine shots administered
With 3.5 million vaccine doses reported administered on Thursday, the seven-day average of daily U.S. shots given now stands at 3.3 million.
Earlier this week, White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said the pause in Johnson & Johnson vaccinations would not slow the pace of the U.S. rollout and that the country has enough supply of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to continue administering 3 million shots per day.
U.S. share of the population vaccinated
About 38% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine and 24% is fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
In New Hampshire, 56% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose. More than 45% of residents in Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Mexico are at least partially vaccinated.
Some states still lag. Mississippi and Alabama have administered at least one shot to just 29% of their populations. That figure is 30% in Louisiana and 31% in Idaho and Georgia.
Josh Michaud, associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, said the disparities stem in part from varied approaches to vaccine distribution. Some states have been able to make the process more straightforward through technology and clear communication.
“Having a well-oiled, well-functioning vaccine operation certainly helps,” Michaud said.
Michaud also pointed to vaccine hesitancy, saying many Americans who were eager for a vaccine have already gotten it, leaving those who are on the fence next in line. Vaccinating those hesitant populations will require more outreach and communication, he said.
U.S. Covid cases
The seven-day average of U.S. daily new coronavirus cases stands at 70,484, according to Johns Hopkins data. That’s far below the nation’s winter peak of about 250,000 average daily new cases per day but largely in line with the summer surge.
Michigan continues to record the worst outbreak in the country based on average daily new cases per capita, with infection levels there close to pandemic highs. The state is reporting a seven-day average of nearly 7,700 daily new cases per day, approaching the state’s peak of more than 8,300 per day recorded in December.
U.S. Covid deaths
The U.S. reported 887 Covid deaths Wednesday, JHU data shows, and the seven-day average of daily deaths is 714. More than 565,000 total Covid deaths have been reported in the U.S. as of Thursday.
