As an opening question during a town hall event hosted by CNN on Feb. 16, the president was asked by host Anderson Cooper when vaccines would be available and ready to distribute to the general public. “By the end of July, we will have 600 million doses, enough to vaccinate every single American,” Biden replied, clarifying that they will “be available” by that date to start rolling out. “The clear notion is if you’re eligible, if it’s available, get the vaccine,” he urged later in the event. “Get the vaccine.” And for the latest COVID news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Over the course of the town hall, the president fielded other pandemic-related questions and offered a few predictions as to when life could begin to return to normal. Biden was cautiously optimistic that by the beginning of the next school year in September, the U.S. would be “significantly better off than we are today,” and while reiterating that he didn’t want to “overpromise” anything to the public, he also predicted that “by next Christmas I think we’ll be in a very different circumstance, God willing, than we are today,” The New York Times reports. “I think a year from now…I think that there’ll be significantly fewer people having to be socially distanced, have to wear a mask,” Biden said. “But we don’t know. So I don’t want to overpromise anything here. I told you when I ran and when I got elected, I will always level with you.” And for more on what you should still avoid post-jab, Dr. Fauci Says Doing This After Getting Vaccinated Is a Huge Mistake. The president explained that through use of the Defense Production Act, he has been able to ramp up production from the 50 million doses that had been made since he took office in January. “What’s going to happen is it’s going to continue to increase as we move along,” Biden told Cooper. “We will have reached 400 million doses by the end of May and 600 million by the end of July…[But] it’s one thing to have the vaccine. It’s another thing to have vaccinators.” Biden went on to describe how action had already been taken to help ensure doses could be administered quickly. “Now we have made significant strides increasing the number of vaccinators. I issued an executive order allowing former retired docs and nurses to do it. We have over a thousand military personnel…We have gotten the National Guard engaged…Plus we have opened up a considerable amount of locations where you can get the vaccine,” he explained. And for one chain where you may soon be able to get your shot, check out You’ll Be Able to Get Vaccinated at Any Walgreens by This Date.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb At least one other top official has offered a slightly different projection of when doses might become more widely available. Earlier on the same day during an interview with CNN, Anthony Fauci, MD, revised a prediction he had made the previous week, pushing back his originally stated dates, telling anchor Jim Sciutto: “That timeline will probably be prolonged, maybe into mid-to-late May and early June.” Fauci explained that his initial estimate of late April was based on information surrounding the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that has since changed. But Fauci also clarified that even though vaccine eligibility may be opened up in May and June, it may take a “few months” to actually get the rollout really going, presenting a timeline that falls somewhat more in line with the president’s prediction. “Let’s say, in May, vaccines are going to be widely available to almost anybody—May, June. But it may take until June, July, and August to finally get everyone vaccinated,” Fauci said. And for more on who should hold off on some types of jabs, If You’re Over 65, You Shouldn’t Get This New Vaccine, Experts Warn.
