The rate of daily Covid vaccinations reported administered in the U.S. dipped below 3 million for the first time in weeks Thursday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the same time, more states crossed the halfway point for residents with at least one shot.
U.S. vaccine shots administered
The United States is averaging 2.9 million reported shots per day over the past week, CDC data shows. The daily average had held above 3 million for more than two weeks straight and hit a peak of 3.4 million reported shots per day on April 13.
One reason for this slight dip may be the ongoing halt in Johnson & Johnson vaccinations, which the Food and Drug Administration advised states to suspend earlier this month “out of an abundance of caution” after six women developed a rare blood clotting disorder.
The J&J shot makes up less than 4% of the 219 million total doses administered in the U.S. to date. But the single-shot option had proven particularly useful in certain communities that have difficulty accessing vaccination sites multiple times, and was being used for an average of 425,000 reported shots per day at peak levels in mid-April.
U.S. share of the population vaccinated
About 40% of the U.S. population has received one or more vaccine shots, and more than a quarter is fully vaccinated. Among seniors, more than 81% have received at least one dose.
New Hampshire outpaces all other states in terms of residents with one or more shot, with 59% of the population at least partially vaccinated. Connecticut crossed the halfway mark earlier this week, and Maine and Massachusetts did so Thursday.
Many states are nearing the milestone, with Vermont, New Mexico, New Jersey, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania all across the 45% mark.
States lagging behind the national rate include Mississippi, where 30% of residents have received at least one shot, and Alabama and Louisiana, where 31% of residents have been jabbed. Eleven states in total are below 35%.
U.S. Covid cases
The U.S. is reporting nearly 62,000 new coronavirus infections per day, based on a seven-day average of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. That level is above the nation’s most recent low point of 53,600 per day in late March, but has been trending downward over the past week.
In Michigan, where daily case counts are the highest in the country on a per capita basis, the outbreak may be showing signs of letting up. The state is reporting nearly 6,200 daily new cases on average over the past week, down from nearly 7,700 per day a week ago.
U.S. Covid deaths
The U.S. is reporting an average of about 700 daily Covid deaths, according to Johns Hopkins data. The nationwide death toll over the course of the pandemic has surpassed 570,000.
