President Joe Biden told U.S. states on Thursday to make all adults eligible for a coronavirus vaccine by May 1. Hem also encouraged Americans to keep up mitigation efforts – wearing masks, keeping social distance and practicing good hygiene – to stop the virus and its variants from spreading.
President Biden said he was ordering U.S. states, territories and tribes to make all adults eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine by May 1. The White House has said it would have enough vaccine supply to vaccinate the adult population by the end of May. About 10% of Americans so far have been fully vaccinated.
Administration officials said he would deploy 4,000 more troops to help with the vaccine effort, bringing the total number to 6,000. The White House is also seeking to expand the pool of people able to administer shots to include dentists, optometrists, paramedics, veterinarians and medical students.