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- President Joe Biden believes coronavirus vaccines will be widely available by the spring.
- “I think it’ll be this spring,” Biden said. “I think we’ll be able to do that this spring.”
- This was the first time Biden offered such a time window for the vaccine rollout.
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President Joe Biden made his first prediction for when coronavirus vaccines will be available to the bulk of the American public – not just the elderly and essential workers – during a news conference on Monday.
“I think it’ll be this spring, “Biden said. I think we’ll be able to do that this spring.
“But it’s gonna be a logistical challenge that exceeds anything we’ve ever tried in this country.”
—ABC News (@ABC) January 25, 2021
Previously, Biden and his press officials had said it was too early too tell when vaccines may be widely available, given the lack of coordination with the Trump administration during the transition.
Beyond cautioning Americans that the logistical challenges will be immense, Biden said three factors will determine the efficacy of the rollout.
First, enough vaccine doses need to keep coming in, which he said shouldn't be an issue based on talks he's had recently with other companies on their way to FDA approval. Second, the US will need to produce enough "paraphernalia" to ensure there are not shortages of syringes or other materials necessary for vaccination.
Finally, Biden said the biggest hurdle facing his administration comes down to the workforce responsible for administering the vaccine, with the administration's goal of getting 100 million shots into arms by the 100 day mark of his presidency.
"I think with the grace of God, and the good will of the neighbor, and the creek not rising - as the old saying goes - I think we'll be able to get to 1.5 million a day rather than one million a day," Biden said. "But we have to meet that goal of a million a day."
With the spring as his target for more general vaccine access, Biden said once children are able to be vaccinated, the US could be approaching herd immunity by the summer.
"I think by summer, we will be well on our way to heading toward herd immunity."