This Time, a Welcome Milestone on COVID

Half of all adults in the US have received at least one COVID-19 shot, the government said Sunday, marking another milestone in the nation’s largest-ever vaccination campaign, per the AP. 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 CDC reported. Almost 84 million adults, or about 32.5% of the population, have been fully vaccinated. The US cleared the 50% mark just a day after the reported global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million, according to totals compiled by Johns Hopkins University, though the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.

The country’s vaccination rate, at 61.6 doses administered per 100 people, currently falls behind Israel, which leads among countries with at least 5 million people with a rate of 119.2. The US also trails the United Arab Emirates, Chile, and the United Kingdom, which is vaccinating at a rate of 62 doses per 100 people, according to Our World in Data, an online research site. In January, 67% of adult Americans were willing to get vaccinated or had already received at least one shot. The figure has climbed to 75%, according to the latest AP-NORC poll.

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