About 39% of the US population — nearly 131 million people — is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to data published Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But four states have already fully vaccinated more than half of their total resident population:
Nearly 164 million people in the US — about 49% of the population — have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, CDC data show.
Overall, 286,890,900 total doses of vaccine have been reported administered, about 80% of the 357,250,475 doses delivered.
That’s about 1.2 million more doses reported administered since Sunday, for a seven-day average of about 1.8 million doses administered per day.
The importance of getting vaccinated was demonstrated in additional CDC data, which showed less than 1,400 hospitalized or fatal Covid-19 cases in fully vaccinated people as of May 10, a minuscule percentage given 115 million people at that time had completed their vaccinations. Only 223 of the severe breakthrough cases were fatal, the CDC said.
With the successes seen in high-vaccinated areas as well as the efficacy of the vaccines, states are pulling out all the stops to get more people on board.
The Washington State Department of Health announced that two of its four Covid-19 mass vaccination sites will close on May 28 and that the focus will be on mobile vaccine clinics for greater outreach.
New Yorkers who get vaccinated next week from Monday to Friday will be given a lottery ticket with a chance to win as much as $5 million, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who described declining vaccination rates as “troubling news.”
Starting on Tuesday, the Maryland Lottery will randomly select a vaccinated Marylander for a $40,000 prize every single day, Gov. Larry Hogan announced.
Ohio’s Gov. Mike DeWine last week was the first state leader to announce lottery drawings in a bid to get more people inoculated, and vaccination rates have since picked up, the Ohio Department of Health said on Thursday.
Ohio will hold five drawings with a prize of $1 million each for people 18 and older and will hold five drawings for full college scholarships for people under the age of 18 who are vaccinated.
Vermont is also trying to incentivize its residents so more will get vaccinated. According to a news release from Gov. Phil Scott’s office, nearly 75% of eligible Vermonters have received at least one dose of a vaccine. Now, he’s promising to lift any restrictions if the state hits 80%.
Even United Airlines is offering incentives to get the COVID vaccine with an announcement announced Monday that vaccinated fliers can win a year of free flights around the world.
The “Your Shot to Fly” sweepstakes “aims to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations in support of the Biden administration’s national effort “to encourage people to get vaccinated,” according to a statement from United.
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