On Thursday, President Joe Biden made a major address to the country regarding his COVID-19 response plan. This address came exactly one year after the coronavirus pandemic was announced in the United States, marking a truly harrowing year of more than 530,000 deaths from the virus.
During the address, Biden noted that he would be using the assistance of active duty troops to distribute vaccines and that he planned to increase vaccine shipments to community health centers and major pharmacies. Perhaps most important, however, was Biden’s announcement of a strategy to make all adults eligible for the vaccine by May 1st.
According to a statement from The White House, “Today, in the next phase of our vaccination effort, the President will announce that he will direct states, Tribes, and territories to make all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine no later than May 1st. According to The White House COVID-19 Response Team, prioritized vaccination efforts will be far enough along by the beginning of May that all eligibility restrictions should be lifted.
This is big news for those anxious to get the vaccine, especially as eligibility has varied by jurisdiction thus far. While this ambitious plan does not mean all adults will be vaccinated by May, it certainly means that the vaccination process will be much faster. President Biden also pointed to the Fourth of July as a target date for when we can resume small gatherings safely with friends and family.
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