Biden asks to vaccinate: “Do it now!”

In fact, 70 percent of adults in the United States should have had their first vaccination. But the vaccination goal was missed. Almost pleadingly, US President Biden again campaigned for syringes.

US President Joe Biden urged Americans to vaccinate on the national holiday in order to achieve “independence” from the coronavirus together. Getting vaccinated is the “most patriotic” thing citizens can do now, he said on Independence Day. “If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, do it! Do it now – for yourself, for your loved ones, for your community, for your country!”

Thanks to the vaccination campaign, the US is “closer than ever to declaring its independence from the deadly virus,” stressed Biden. The virus has not yet been defeated, and there are also new dangerous variants. “But the best defense against these variants is to get vaccinated,” said the 78-year-old. Thanks to the vaccinations, the virus no longer controls people’s lives, “it is no longer paralyzing our country and it is in our power to ensure that it never happens again”.

Biden’s vaccination goal missed

Biden celebrated the holiday with a big barbecue in the garden of the White House for around 1000 invited guests. These included many soldiers, health workers and their families. Independence Day was also of particular importance this year because Biden wanted to have achieved a new vaccination goal by then.

However, despite numerous vaccination incentives and a large supply of vaccines, the target was not achieved. By Sunday, 70 percent of all adults should have received at least one vaccine dose. So far, however, only 67 percent – or 173 million people – got at least the first vaccination, data from the CDC showed.

Incentives to vaccinate

The White House had already admitted at the end of June that the vaccination target could not be achieved. On average, around one million people are vaccinated every day – significantly less than the more than three million at the height of the vaccination campaign in spring. In relation to the total population of around 330 million people, 55 percent have now received at least the first injection.

Many states are already offering incentives, such as large cash prizes, to encourage reluctant people to get vaccinated. Surveys suggest, however, that the vaccination campaign is now likely to progress more and more slowly because around 20 percent of the country’s residents reject the vaccinations. A negative attitude is widespread, especially among Republicans.

In the USA, the vaccines from BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna are mainly used, while those from Johnson & Johnson play a lesser role. The government has secured plenty of vaccine and has already started distributing millions of doses to other countries.