President Joe Biden is aiming to reach 70 percent of U.S. adults vaccinated with at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose by July 4, though a New York Times analysis projects that the nation will fall just short of that goal.
If the current national rate of vaccination remains the same, about 68 percent of American adults are likely to be partly vaccinated by July 4, according to the Times.
As of June 3, 63 percent of adult Americans have gotten at least one vaccine dose, with 52 percent fully inoculated, the CDC reported. However, the national statistics mask the fact that vaccination rates vary largely among states.
While more than 70 percent of adults have received at least one shot in 12 states, 30 states probably will not reach that target, according to the Times.
In many states, vaccinations have stalled because of limited access and shot hesitancy. Less than half of adults have received at least one vaccine dose in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Wyoming, and the Times projects that the rate is unlikely to be higher than 50 percent by early July.
"You reach a certain rate nationally, which looks excellent and would really suggest that you are in a place to reduce the likelihood of infectious spread, but that can be misleading," said Marcus Plescia, MD, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
"You still have these significant pockets and states where the rates of immunity are much lower," Dr. Plescia told the Times. "So we could have another wave pop up."
To boost vaccination levels, President Biden declared June a "national month of action," laying out a more aggressive vaccine campaign that includes thousands of businesses offering incentives for vaccinations.