WASHINGTON (AP) — The government announced that half of all adults in the U.S. had received at least one COVID-19 shot, marking another milestone in the nation’s largest-ever vaccination campaign but leaving more work to do to convince skeptical Americans to roll up their sleeves. Almost 130 million people 18 or older have received at least one dose of a vaccine or 50.4% of the total adult population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Almost 84 million adults, or about 32.5%, have been fully vaccinated.
ACCORDING TO TOTALS COMPILED BY JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, the U.S. cleared the 50% mark for adults just a day after the reported global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million. However, the actual number is believed to be significantly higher. President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser Fauci said he thought federal regulators could bring the shots back with restrictions based on age or gender or with a blanket warning so that it is administered in a way “a little bit different than we were before the pause.
In other developments, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert indicated Sunday that the government would likely move to resume the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine this week, possibly with restrictions or broader warnings after reports of some sporadic blood clot cases.
In a series of news show interviews, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he expects a decision when advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meet Friday to discuss the pause in J&J’s single-dose vaccine.
“I would be shocked if we don’t have a resumption in some form by Friday,” he said. “I don’t anticipate they will want it to stretch it out a bit longer.”
Fauci, who is President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said he believed that federal regulators could bring the shots back with restrictions based on age or gender or with a blanket warning so that it is administered in a way “a little bit different than we were before the pause.”
The J&J vaccine has been in limbo after the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration said last week they needed more evidence to decide if a handful of unusual blood clots were linked to the shot — and if so, how significant the risk is.
The reports are rare — six cases out of more than 7 million U.S. inoculations with the J&J vaccine. The clots were found in six women between 18 and 48. One person died.
The acting FDA commissioner had said she expected the pause to last only a few days. Still, the decision last Tuesday triggered swift action in Europe and elsewhere.
