CDC: 300M COVID vaccine doses administered in US

ByAya Elamroussi, CNN, CNNWire
Sunday, June 6, 2021
Moderna seeks full FDA approval for COVID vaccine
Moderna is seeking full FDA approval for its COVID-19 vaccine as Anheuser-Busch is giving away free beer once 70% of U.S. adults are partially vaccinated.

The Centers for Disease Control said over 300 million vaccine doses have now been administered in the United States as of Sunday.

That means that more than 63% of American adults received at least one dose of the shot, seven percentage points behind President Joe Biden's goal of 70% before July 4.

Americans are finally getting a breath of fresh air, as this summer is beginning to look like a time for not only soaking in the sun but also celebrating reopenings from the pandemic.

But despite the fact that less than half of the total US population is fully vaccinated -- at about 42% -- there's been progress in how people feel about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their lives.

Two-thirds, or 66%, of adults in America say their lives are at least somewhat back to normalcy, according to a new Gallup survey.

"Almost all demographic subgroups of the population show large shifts since last fall in reports that their lives are back to normal," the survey says.

The US averaged about 14,300 new cases per day over the last week, down from nearly 71,300 daily in mid-April, according to Johns Hopkins University data. During the country's peak of infections last winter, the daily average of new cases eclipsed 250,000.

States are noticing the progress. Mass vaccination sites in Massachusetts will begin closing this month, Gov. Charlie Baker said in a news release, touting that 79% of adult residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

New Jersey passed a bill this week to end the public health emergency initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as limits on group gatherings across the state are lifted.

Meanwhile, Hawaii has moved to loosen some of its restrictions as it reaches a vaccine milestone. Gov. David Ige said Friday that he's ending all restrictions for inter-county travel on June 15, touting that 52% of his state's population is fully vaccinated.

"The easing of travel restrictions is a direct result of our robust vaccination rate, and a community that sacrificed and did what it had to do over the past year and a half to stop the spread of COVID-19," Ige said.

Companies push for return to normalcy

President Joe Biden's goal of vaccinating 70% of adults with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by July 4 has proven difficult, to say the least, and incentives ranging from scholarships to lotteries are being offered by states to drive demand for vaccines.

Now, enter free beer.

This week, Anheuser-Busch teamed up with the White House in promising a round of free beers to those 21 and older if the country reaches its goal.

"Anheuser-Busch will buy America's next round of beer, seltzer, non-alcoholic beverage or other A-B product," the company said in a news release.

Royal Caribbean International announced on Saturday that six of its ships will sail from major US ports in Florida and Texas beginning in July.

The company is not requiring vaccines for passengers, but those who are not inoculated "will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols," according to a news release from the company.

"This is it. Vacationers can finally plan to take their precious time off this summer and truly get away after what has been a challenging time for everyone," said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, in the release.

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