Mar 20, 2021 - Health

CDC: 1 in 6 U.S. adults has been fully vaccinated against COVID

Jacob Knutson

A medical assistant administering a coronavirus vaccine at a blood bank in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 19. Photo: Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images

One in six U.S. adults has been fully vaccinated for the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions' vaccine tracker.

By the numbers: The U.S. has administered a total of 121 million doses and vaccinated 42.9 million people 18 years and older, representing 16.7% of the adult population. Roughly 40.8% of people 65 years and older have been fully vaccinated.

The big picture: The Biden administration on Friday exceeded its goal of administering 100 million doses and now may be aiming for 200 million doses by Biden's 100th day in office.

The pace of new infections has stabilized, but the U.S. is still reporting on average more than 50,000 new cases per day — a high plateau, Axios' Sam Baker reports.

Yes, but: NIAID director Anthony Fauci warned Friday that the U.S. needs to step up its vaccine effort to combat the coronavirus variant first discovered in the United Kingdom, which may account for up to 30% of new infections across the country.

Studies suggest the variant, called B.1.1.7, spreads more easily than the original strain of the virus.

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CDC: 1 in 6 U.S. adults has been fully vaccinated against COVID

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