WASHINGTON (Reuters) – More than half of all American adults have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the White House said, roughly six weeks before U.S. President Biden's July 4 goal of a 70% inoculation rate. <\/p>\n
The halfway mark comes as federal, state and local leaders press ahead with delivering COVID-19 shots to people who have not yet received them, while also battling vaccination hesitancy, fears and misinformation. <\/p>\n
"Now, with another week left in May, half of all U.S. adults are fully vaccinated," White House senior COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt tweeted overnight. <\/p>\n
Biden's White House COVID-19 Task Force has scheduled a news briefing for Tuesday afternoon. <\/p>\n
New coronavirus infections nationwide have settled into a sustained decline as more people become vaccinated. <\/p>\n
The number of new U.S. infections fell to a seven-day average of 22,877 on Sunday, the lowest since June and less than one-tenth of its post-holiday peak of more than 250,000, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. <\/p>\n
People as young as 12 can also now receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID shot, while Moderna said on Tuesday its vaccine was also effective in adolescents, opening the door to a possible second U.S.-approved vaccine for youth later this year. <\/p>\n
A growing number of localities have announced further reopening efforts as the United States heads into its unofficial summer kick-off with the Memorial Day holiday this weekend. <\/p>\n
U.S. travel is on the rise and, while masks are still required for interstate public transportation, many local mandates have been lifted. <\/p>\n
(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Mark Heinrich) <\/p>\n