COVID-19 Vaccines Now Available For Every American

by Carolee Chanona

Every state in the U.S. has opened coronavirus vaccine eligibility to all adults, meeting a deadline set earlier this month by President Joe Biden. On Monday, five states – Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Oregon and Hawaii – expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults, joining the rest of the nation, according to The New York Times and USA Today.

Half of U.S. adults have received at least one Covid shot in milestone for vaccination campaign.

Biden Successfully Meets Vaccination Deadline

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer receives a dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine at Ford Field during an event to promote and encourage Michigan residents to get the vaccine on April 6, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan.

Last month, Biden initially directed states, tribes and territories to make all adult Americans eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by May 1. On April 6, he announced that he was moving up the deadline by two weeks, to April 19, The Associated Press reported.

As of Monday morning, at least 131.2 million Americans – about 39.5% of the total population – had received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 84.2 million people have been fully vaccinated nationwide, amounting to about 25.4% of the total population, the CDC reported. The U.S. continues to lead the world in the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed nationwide, at 31.6 million, according to a count from Johns Hopkins University. The viral infection has claimed more than 567,000 lives in the U.S. alone.

Read more here and here.

Where To Go Once Vaccinated

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Silk Caye, Belize. Image courtesy Duarte Dellarole

With the vaccines rolling out, and spring and summer on the way, 2021 is all about making up for those lost travel days from the past year.  As of March 26, Americans who are fully vaccinated (or those who can prove previous infection) can travel to Iceland, while vaccinated foreigners can sidestep testing and quarantining in Belize. Other countries are almost certain to follow suit in the coming months, especially as optimism sweeps the travel industry with vaccination rates rising globally. Once vaccinated and you ready to travel, pick places and trips that naturally encourage being outside and remaining socially distanced from strangers, like Belize. Also: Wear a face mask whether you’ve been vaccinated or not. It’s the right thing to do.

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