President Joe Biden was set to announce Tuesday that he is shaving about two weeks off his May 1 deadline for states to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccines, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Tuesday.
What You Need To Know
- President Joe Biden is set announce Tuesday that he is moving up the deadline for states to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccines, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Tuesday
- The new deadline of April 19 is about two weeks earlier than Biden’s original May 1 deadline
- Biden will make the announcement at the White House later Tuesday following a visit to a vaccination site in Virginia
Biden was set to make the announcement at the White House later Tuesday following a visit to a vaccination site in Virginia, a White House official said earlier in the day.
With states gradually expanding eligibility beyond such priority groups as older people and essential, front-line workers, the president plans to announce that every adult in the U.S. will be eligible by April 19 to be vaccinated, the official said.
Psaki confirmed the news at a press briefing Tuesday afternoon, also adding that Biden “will announce later this afternoon what we’ve officially reached 150 million shots in arms.”
“While we continue to make strong progress” on vaccines, Psaki said, “it is critical that we continue to mask up and socially distance.”
The new deadline of April 19 is about two weeks earlier than Biden’s original May 1 deadline.
The president had announced just last week that 90% of adults would be eligible for one of three approved vaccines by April 19, in addition to having a vaccination site within 5 miles of their home.
CNN was first to report on Biden’s planned announcement.
