Most people are optimistic that the pandemic is on its way out as the pace of vaccinations surpasses 2.4 million shots per day with the promise of speeding up further as production continues.
A record 60% of adults see the COVID-19 crisis in the United States as getting better, while 26% say it is staying the same, and 14% believe it is getting worse, according to results of a February Gallup poll published earlier this month.
The boost in optimism comes as new daily case rates continue to fall from January peaks of about 300,000 new daily infections. Cases have plateaued at around 55,000 new cases confirmed each day in the U.S.
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The public’s perception of the state of the pandemic has fluctuated based on new case rates and trends reflecting increased or decreased transmission. During the fall surge of new cases and hospitalizations in mid-November, roughly 56% predicted the pandemic would last well into 2021. By the third week of February, the proportion of people who expected the crisis to persist through the first half of 2021 had fallen to 38%.
The widening accessibility of vaccines is expected to keep public optimism intact as more people begin to recognize glimmers of hope that the pandemic is receding. So far, more than 77 million people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of a vaccine, representing about a quarter of the adult population, while nearly 42 million people have been fully vaccinated.
Individual states have stepped up efforts recently to make the vaccines available to as many population groups as possible. A growing number of governors have announced in the past week that eligibility requirements for the vaccine outlined in each state’s phased allocation plan would be lifted, opening up appointment slots for younger adults in addition to the most vulnerable groups.
Mississippi and Alaska have made vaccine appointments available for all adults 16 and older regardless of health status. Connecticut, Michigan, and Ohio are moving quickly to expand access to all adults this month and next, weeks before President Biden’s May 1 deadline for states to grant every adult access to the shots.
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As production of three vaccines continues, the national supply is projected to exceed the U.S. population by the end of May. At the current vaccination rate, the U.S. is on track to vaccinate 75% of the population, the estimated portion of the population that must be vaccinated to prevent transmission of the virus, in about five months.
