US to meet Biden’s promise of 100 million vaccinations in first 100 days, ahead of schedule

US President Joe Biden has announced that on Friday his administration will fulfil his promise to get 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine into American arms in his first 100 days in office, ABC News reports.

“Fifty-eight days into our administration, we will have met my goal of administering 100 million shots to our fellow Americans. That’s weeks ahead of schedule,” Biden said, speaking on Thursday afternoon at the White House.

According to official data approximately 115 million total vaccine doses have now been administered, 16.5 million of them under the Trump administration.

As of Thursday, 65% of people age 65 or older have received at least one shot and 36% have been fully vaccinated, Biden said.

The 100 million-dose target will be hit 42 days before his self-imposed deadline, which he announced in December before taking office, and before any vaccines were approved for use in the US.

The president said he will announce a new goal for the remainder of his first 100 days in office next week and urged Americans to stay vigilant.

“This is a time for optimism, but it’s not a time for relaxation. I need all of you to do your part. Wash your hands, stay socially distanced, keep masking up, and get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Now is not the time to let down our guard,” he warned.

While the country’s national daily case average of infections continues to fall, nearly a third of all states have seen their average number of cases rise by at least 10% over the last month.

“Scientists have made clear things may get worse as new variants of this virus spread. Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to fight back against these variants,” Biden said.

“I need you to help. Not just for the country, but your family, your friends, your neighbours, get them vaccinated as well.”