COVID-19 Vaccine to Be Widely Accessible By the End of July – US President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden said he expects the COVID-19 vaccine to be widely accessible in the United States by the end of July and cautiously suggested the nation may return to normal by Christmas, reported American-based news agency, United Press International (UPI).
Joe Biden said the administration would reach 600 million available doses by the end of July, enough to vaccinate every single American. He added, however, that they may not be distributed at that time.
Joe Biden said one of the most significant obstacles he faced in taking on the pandemic response from the previous administration was a lack of vaccinators to administer the shots.
“Now we have made significant strides increasing the number of vaccinators. I issued an executive order allowing former retired docs and nurses to do it.
“We have over a thousand military personnel. We have gotten the National Guard engaged. Plus we have opened up a considerable amount of locations where you can get the vaccine,” he said.
Joe Biden’s comments came as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration will increase the vaccine supply to states to 13.5 million doses per week, up from 11 million last week.
The president also noted that due to current vaccinations and potential clearance for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine will cause the spread of the virus to diminish considerably and that the country could move toward normalcy next Christmas.
“So if that works that way, as my mother would say with the grace of God and the goodwill of the neighbours, that by next Christmas I think we’ll be in a very different circumstance, God willing, than we are today,” he said.
In a clarification to comments made by Psaki, Biden said there was a mistake in communication when it was reported that a school could be considered open if it was open just one day per week.
“I said opening the majority of schools in K through 8th great because they’re the easiest to open, the most needed to do open in terms of the impact on children and families have to stay home,” he said.
Additionally, Biden suggested that some schools may open during the summer in what would act as another semester, while adding that states should move teachers ahead in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
