Biden Moves Deadline for Vaccine Availability

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After earlier announcements that Covid-19 vaccinations would be available to all United States adults by May 1, President Joe Biden will announce that the date is moved ahead to April 16 during a visit to a Virginia vaccination site. While the April 16 deadline is optional, it urges states to expand their vaccine availability to limit any further damage from the Covid-19 Pandemic.

By April 19, President Biden expects that the vaccine will be available to 90 percent of all Americans within five miles of their home after massively expanding vaccine distribution operations. FOr starters, the total number of pharmacies authorized to administer Covid-19 vaccinations will grow to around 40,000 — an incredible increase from the current 17,000. Further, there will be 12 new federal mass vaccination sites to expand vaccine availability across all parts of the United States.

Biden’s efforts to increase vaccine distribution have paid off already — he has exceeded his goal of administering 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days in office and is now pushing for 200 million by 100 days. On average, 3.1 million vaccinations are given each day, helping to fuel the economic recovery that has the nation on pace to expand beyond its pre-pandemic levels at the end of this year. 

According to the International Monetary Fund, the American Rescue Plan’s $1.9 trillion stimulus will catapult the United States into complete recovery and help speed recovery in other countries around the world. In the United States alone, the stimulus package is expected to lead to a 6.4 percent growth in the economy. At the same time, it will contribute to a new global economic growth rate for the year of six percent.

Increased vaccination efforts, combined with President Biden’s stimulus package, will cause the American economy to grow faster than at any time since 1984, under the Reagan administration. While the growth is impressive in the Western world, countries in Asia are set to outpace the United States significantly — China is expecting an 8.4 percent growth rate, while India is expecting a shocking 12.5 percent. These growth rates compared to just 4.4 percent among nations in Europe that use the euro, as a result of distrust around the AstraZeneca vaccine and resurgences in infection rates. 

The IMF’s growth rate predictions are subject to change depending on how the world continues to progress in the fight against Covid-19. Although vaccination rates are increasing drastically in some of the world’s largest economies, it is possible that new variants of Coivd-19, along with distrust of vaccine companies, will prevent many nations from achieving herd immunity and eliminating the disease altogether. Additionally, income disparities will cause some nations to recover more slowly than others, meaning that Covid-19 will likely have lasting ramifications for several years to come. 

The only way to combat the continued spread of Covid-19 is to keep taking safety precautions in public spaces. Wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay socially distanced whenever possible to avoid spreading Covid-19.