By: Sarah Burnett, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Many people are getting excited because Joe Biden announced over the weekend that The United States has purchased over 300 million total doses of vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna, which is enough to vaccinate the adult population of America.
The United States has an approximate population of 328.2 million people according to the United States Census Bureau, with the adult population being around 255 million people. While the vaccines won’t be available for all adults until the end of July, it is a step in the right direction in the eventual return to normal life. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden and the Director of the NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), told the Today Show that he expects all American adults to have the opportunity to register for the vaccine by early April. President Joe Biden was excited to announce that there is a strong possibility that the United States is on-track to exceed 100 million vaccine doses within his first 100 days in office, which is a major milestone for the Biden Administration, and the American people. Many high schoolers are excited that life will, hopefully, become more normal. Junior Samir Patel said “it’s so awesome,” senior Nick Li said “it’s so hopeful” and its’ way more [vaccines] than I ever expected,” and sophomore Natalia Diaz stated that “it’s amazing! I’ll go with whatever will make this virus go away.”
Despite ordering so many vaccines, Maryland has one of the lowest distribution rates in the United States. According to the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration tracking data, Maryland ranks #39 out of 50 for States ranked by the number of vaccines administered. On the Maryland.Gov website, it states that “At this time, the federal government is giving Maryland approximately 12,000 doses per day for over 2 million people who are eligible. SUPPLY IS VERY LIMITED… PLEASE BE PATIENT.” Jillian Bentivenga, a senior at River Hill High School, knows that it “is so necessary for America to have the vaccines,” but she doesn’t know how realistic it is right now. “My older sister with a disability hasn’t been able to be vaccinated yet, Maryland has such a low supply of vaccines, and they are cancelling appointments” Jillian stated.
“Mask up, America. Mask up,” Joe Biden said. While America is on track to have the majority of vaccines distributed to Americans by the summer time, Joe Biden emphasized that it is crucial that Americans still follow CDC guidelines in order to slow the spread of Covid-19. Biden said that the U.S. Covid-19 death toll is likely to exceed 500,000 within the next month. Remember to wear your mask, wash your hands frequently, stay six feet away from others, and quarantine yourself after any period of travel. Stay safe.