50% Of U.S. Adults Now Vaccinated—But Here Are The Countries Doing Even Better - Forbes

Topline

The U.S. on Sunday surpassed the milestone of at least partially inoculating more than half of all adults against the coronavirus—the latest achievement in a rollout that while among the most successful in the world, is still beat by a handful of countries that have moved even more quickly to vaccinate their residents.

Key Facts

The U.S. has doled out over 209.4 million doses as of April 18, with 39.5% of the total population, 50.4% of adults and 81% of seniors at least partially vaccinated against the virus, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But while leading the world by over 22 million in terms of the number of doses distributed, eight other countries beat the U.S.’s vaccination rate of 62 doses administered per 100 people.

Leading the pack is Israel (116), whose uber successful vaccine rollout has been well-documented, followed by Seychelles (116), the United Arab Emirates (100), Chile (69), Bahrain (67), Bhutan (63), the United Kingdom (63) and San Marino (63).

Notably, many of the top-ranking countries have relatively small populations, including the East African nation of Seychelles (less than 100,000 people) and the Italy-adjacent San Marino, which is one of the world’s smallest countries (less than 35,000). 

Bhutan shot up in the rankings after vaccinating nearly 95% of its eligible adult population of over 763,000 in roughly two weeks, now boasting the second-highest proportion of all residents with at least one shot of the vaccine of all countries.

The U.S. has nearly five times the population of the next largest country on the list, the U.K. 

Big Number 

888 million. That’s how many doses of the vaccine have been administered across the world. 

Key Background

The U.S. has massively ramped up its vaccine distribution since December, when a total of 3.6 million doses were given, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. In March, over 76.7 million doses were administered and the country is on track to surpass that number this month, boasting a 7-day average of nearly 3.2 million doses distributed each day. The Biden administration has vowed to have enough vaccine supply to cover every American by the end of May, though officials are anticipating supply will exceed demand in the U.S. by mid-May–if not sooner. The U.S. has, however, encountered a speed bump in the federal pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after a small number of blood-clotting cases. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical advisor, said Sunday he expects the vaccine will be back in commission by Friday of this week, though it will likely return with a new “warning” or “restriction.” 

What To Watch For 

As the U.S.’s own vaccine rollout continues to progress, the country is facing calls to help other nations struggling with severe outbreaks and struggling to get hold of vaccine supply. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week the U.S. plans to be “the world leader” in making sure other countries get vaccinated, but first wants to be more “comfortable” first.

Crucial Quote 

“Our first responsibility is to the American people, and the president's been very clear about that. But that's also a benefit to the world,” Blinken said, adding: “I think when all is said and done, you will see the United States as the leading country around the world in making sure that everyone has access to vaccines.”

Further Reading 

“How the Tiny Kingdom of Bhutan Out-Vaccinated Most of the World” (The New York Times)

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50% Of U.S. Adults Now Vaccinated—But Here Are The Countries Doing Even Better - Forbes
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