Biden Says All Americans Will be Eligible for Virus Vaccine by April 19

By Staff, Agencies

US President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that all adult Americans across the country will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccines by April 19, well ahead of the previous target.

Biden shifted the deadline for full eligibility from May 1 to April 19 after rapid progress in all 50 states in the vaccine rollouts.

If the target is met, this would mean an end to restrictions by age, health issues or other categories for people wanting to get coronavirus vaccines. It would not necessarily mean that anyone could get a shot immediately, as distribution remains a work in progress.

Biden was scheduled to visit a vaccination site in Virginia, just outside of Washington, on Tuesday, before delivering remarks on the topic at the White House.

An initial goal of administering 1 million vaccine doses every day - set by the outgoing administration of his predecessor former President Donald Trump - has long been surpassed and on Monday senior White House pandemic advisor Andy Slavitt said the United States is "now averaging 3.1 million shots per day over the most recent seven-day period."

Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned however that new cases are rising again, as people let down their guard.

"We are seeing this occur predominantly in younger adults," Walensky said Monday.