WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States is turning the corner on the coronavirus pandemic and U.S. health officials are now focused on getting more Americans vaccinated, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said on Sunday. <\/p>\n
"I would say we are turning the corner," Zients said in an interview with CNN's "State of the Union." <\/p>\n
The task now is to continue building confidence in vaccines and get enough Americans vaccinated to mitigate the spread of the virus and its variants, he said. <\/p>\n
U.S. health officials are on a full court press to overcome vaccine hesitancy and make access to COVID-19 vaccines as easy as possible, aiming to meet President Joe Biden's goal of 70% of Americans having at least one shot by the July 4 U.S. Independence Day. (Graphic on global vaccinations) https:\/\/tmsnrt.rs\/3tUM8ta <\/p>\n
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top White House coronavirus adviser, said another surge in coronavirus infections would be unlikely if the Biden goal is met or exceeded. <\/p>\n
"The larger proportion of the population that's vaccinated, the less likelihood that in a season like the coming fall or winter you're going to see a significant surge," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said on NBC' "Meet the Press." <\/p>\n
"That's the reason why vaccinations are so important. That's the wild card that we have now that we didn't have last fall or the last winter." <\/p>\n
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) <\/p>\n