June 4, 2021
Plummeting vaccination rates have turned what officials hoped would be the “last mile” of the coronavirus immunization campaign into a marathon, threatening President Joe Biden’s goal of getting shots to at least 70% of adults by July 4.
The United States is averaging fewer than 1 million shots per day, a decline of more than two-thirds from the peak of 3.4 million in April, according to The Washington Post’s seven-day analysis, even though all adults and children over age 12 are now eligible.
Small armies of health workers and volunteers often outnumber the people showing up to get shots at clinics around the country, from a drive-through site in Chattanooga, Tenn., to a gymnasium in Provo, Utah, or a park in Raleigh, N.C.
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Vaccination rates fall off, imperiling Biden s July Fourth goal
Health workers wait for people seeking shots at a vaccination clinic in Provo, Utah, on June 2. (Photo by Kim Raff for The Washington Post)
Alex Olsen waits the recommended 15 minutes after receiving a vaccination in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Kim Raff for The Washington Post)
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Vaccination rates fall off, imperiling Biden’s Fourth of July goal
The last mile of delivering shots has become a marathon, with health officials showing up at stores, parks and factories, rather than waiting for people to come to them.
By Dan Diamond, Dan Keating and Chris MoodyThe Washington Post
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Danielle Gutierrez closes her eyes as city epidemiologist Michelle Jones administers her first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for the City of Brownsville s Walk-Up COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on Saturday in Brownsville, Texas. Only 36 percent of the state is fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald via AP
Plummeting vaccination rates have turned what officials hoped would be the “last mile” of the coronavirus immunization campaign into a marathon, threatening President Joe Biden’s goal of getting shots to at least 70% of adults by July 4.
The ‘last mile’ of delivering coronavirus shots has become a marathon, with health officials showing up at stores, parks and factories to entice people who might not otherwise get immunized.