WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said he expects anyone who wants a coronavirus vaccination to be able to get one by the spring, and he upped his vaccination goal for his first 100 days in office.
Biden said Monday that he now believes the country can administer 1.5 million shots a day in the coming weeks and give 150 million vaccinations over the next 100 days, "with the grace of God."
In December, Biden set a goal of 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days, and at the time, no vaccine had been cleared for use. But with states ramping up their vaccination efforts in recent weeks, the country is already averaging Biden's goal of around 1 million shots a day.
Biden said that to reach his new goal, the government is going to have to set up more vaccination sites, hire more people to administer the shots and ensure that there are enough supplies of supplies like syringes. He is asking Congress for more than $400 billion to fund the effort.
"It is going to be a logistical challenge that exceeds anything we've ever tried in this country, but I think we can do that," Biden said. He said that by summer, "we're going to be well on our way to heading toward herd immunity," including making the vaccine available for children.
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