As COVID Vaccinations Slow, Parts Of The U.S. Remain Far Behind 70% Goal

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/07/05/ [login to see] /as-covid-vaccinations-slow-parts-of-the-u-s-remain-far-behind-70-goal
July 4th was not the celebration President Biden had hoped for, when it comes to protecting more Americans with the coronavirus vaccine. The nation as a whole fell just short of the White House's goal, which was to give at least a first dose to 70% of adults by Independence Day.

Currently, 67% of adult Americans have gotten either the first shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. If you include teenagers age 12-17, who are now eligible for Pfizer-BioNTech, the national percentage of those who have gotten at least one shot is 64%.

But drilling down from national rates, the picture varies widely at the regional level, and from state to state.

For example, Massachusetts and most states in the Northeast reached or exceeded 70% (for adults 18 and older) in June. Tennessee and most southern states have vaccination rates between 50% and 60%, and administration rates are slowing down.

Variations in local desire for the vaccine, and in state strategies for marketing and distributing the shots, help explain the range.