President Joe Biden said the success of coronavirus vaccines meant deaths among senior citizens had fallen by 80% as he announced a new phase in the campaign designed to reach millions more younger people.
He said the country would pass 200 million vaccinations on Wednesday and unveiled a tax break designed to help employers grant paid time off work for staff to get a dose.
It comes as officials explore new ways to keep up the busy pace of vaccination, currently about 3 million a day, and reach populations who have delayed their jab.
Biden touted his administration’s success in reaching the most vulnerable, such as seniors that he said accounted for 80% of COVID-19 deaths before vaccines were available. He said by Thursday that more than 80% of all people over 65 would have received at least one dose.
BIDEN TO DEMAND EMPLOYERS PROVIDE PAID TIME OFF FOR CORONAVIRUS VACCINATIONS
“But already, we’ve seen a dramatic decline in deaths among people over the age of 65, an 80% reduction in deaths,” he said.
That success, he added, meant health workers could move on beyond the most vulnerable.
“The time is now to open up a new phase of this historic vaccination effort,” said Biden as he outlined his latest plans to reach all adults over 16. “To put it simply: If you’ve been waiting for your turn, wait no longer.”
Surveys suggest vaccine hesitancy had declined as the rollout gained pace. However, officials believe more can be done to make it easier for some groups to receive the vaccine.
Biden announced a new series of tax breaks to help companies allow staff time off for vaccinations.
“I’m calling on every employer, large and small, in every state to give employees the time off they need, with pay, to get vaccinated, and any time they need, with pay, to recover if they’re feeling under the weather after the shot,” he said. “No working American should lose a single dollar from their paycheck because they chose to fulfill their patriotic duty of getting vaccinated.”
Once again, Biden urged the public to get shots and said the country was still on course for Fourth of July celebrations.
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“Back on March 11, I outlined a vision of what America could look like by the Fourth of July, an America that was much closer to normal life that we left behind more than a year ago,” Biden said. “We remain on track for that goal.”
