Biden Marks 50 Million Covid Vaccine Shots in the U.S. Since Taking Office

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2021Feb 25

Days after marking a solemn milestone in the pandemic, President Joe Biden on Thursday is celebrating the pace of his efforts to end it. Biden marked the administration of the 50 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine since his swearing-in in a White House ceremony. It came ahead of a meeting with the nation's governors on plans to speed the distribution even further. "The more people get vaccinated, the faster we're going to beat this pandemic," Biden said, noting his administration is on course to exceed his promise to deliver 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office. "We're halfway there: 50 million shots in 37 days," Biden said. "That's weeks ahead of schedule." All told, more than 45 million Americans have been administered at least one dose of the approved vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna since they received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in December, with more than 20 million receiving both required doses. As part of the ceremony, four front-line workers, including a pair of EMTs, a school counselor and a grocery store worker received vaccine doses on live television, as the White House aims to build confidence in the vaccination program. Biden noted predictions that by late spring there will be enough vaccine to administer to anyone that wants it, but that hesitance of the vaccine will limit the number of people who want it. He promised a massive campaign to educate people about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, in hopes of stimulating demand as the nation aims to vaccinate about 80% of adults to reach herd immunity and end the pandemic. Still Biden warned that variants could continue to spread, leading to more cases and hospitalizations, appealing to Americans to keep up with social distancing measures and wearing face coverings. "This is not the time to relax," he said. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world. To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/qt/live, or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app. Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake: https://cor.us/surveys/27AF30 Connect with us on… YouTube: / bloomberg Breaking News on YouTube: / bloombergquicktakenews Twitter: / quicktake Facebook: / quicktake Instagram: / quicktake