At First Press Conference, Biden Doubles Vaccination Goal

President Biden opened his first formal news conference Thursday with a nod toward the improving picture on battling the coronavirus, doubling his original goal by pledging that the nation will administer 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of his first 100 days in office, per the AP. The administration had met Biden's initial goal of 100 million doses earlier this month—before even his 60th day in office—as the president pushes to defeat a pandemic that has killed more than 545,000 Americans and devastated the nation's economy. "I know it's ambitious, said Biden, per CNN. "Twice our original goal. But no other country in the world has even come close, not even close to what we are doing. I believe we can do it."

While seemingly ambitious, Biden’s vaccine goal amounts to a continuation of the existing pace of vaccinations through the end of next month. The US is now averaging about 2.5 million doses per day. An even greater rate is possible: Over the next months, two of the bottlenecks to getting Americans vaccinated are set to be lifted as the US supply of vaccines is on track to increase and states lift eligibility requirements to get shots. Because of the pandemic, only 30 socially distanced chairs for journalists were spread out in the expansive room for the press conference.

(More President Biden stories.)