Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (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 vaccinated against Covid-19.
Joe Biden initially published the goal of reaching 70% on July 4, the United States National Day, as a symbol of victory over the pandemic.
A rebound in vaccination in the worst affected regions
But the slowdown in the vaccination campaign, especially in traditionally conservative areas of the South and Midwest, as well as among younger and more vulnerable populations, has prevented the country from achieving that goal.
The United States, however, has seen a spike in the vaccination rate in recent weeks in states hit by the recent coronavirus wave, caused in large part by the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant.
The vaccine as a weapon against the Delta variant
The average number of daily cases across the country currently exceeds 60,000 people 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.
New scientific studies have shown the need to have received two doses against the Delta variant. The recommendation to wear a mask indoors in high-risk areas has been reinstated, even for vaccinated people.
Preliminary analysis suggested that vaccinated people, positive for Covid-19 with the Delta variant, were able to transmit the virus to other people.