Finally, a pandemic milestone worth cheering: more Americans have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine than have tested positive for the virus. We look at the numbers—and why a continued focus on innovation is critical.
The numbers: 26.5 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 26.3 million have tested positive for the virus, reported Bloomberg on Tuesday.
“The U.S. has been administering shots at a faster daily rate than any country in the world, giving about 1.34 million doses a day,according to data gathered by Bloomberg. While the rollout stumbled in its early days, in the six weeks since the first shots went into arms almost 7.8% of Americans have gotten one or more doses, and 1.8% are fully vaccinated.”
This is a global trend.According to the Financial Times, as of late Wednesday, there have been 105 million vaccine doses administered worldwide, and 103.5 million cases.
But around 98% of the U.S. population still ISN’T fully vaccinated—which is why we must focus on innovation in the next 100 days, as we’ve explained.
What should we do? Continue expedited EUA and full approval processes for COVID-19 innovations, eliminate patient cost-sharing for COVID-19 vaccines/treatments/diagnostics, expand and adequately fund vaccination and treatment sites, develop national plans to build vaccine confidence, and distribute vaccines in an equitable manner are just a few things BIO recommends.
Getting ready for your vaccination appointment? Make sure you have the facts at www.COVIDVaccineFacts.org.
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STAT News: Johnson & Johnson submits application for COVID-19 vaccine to FDA
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San Francisco Chronicle (Opinion): Don't disturb the law that catalyzed Nobel Prize-winning research at UC Berkeley
“For 40 years, Bayh-Dole has created a policy environment where scientific innovation—kickstarted by federal research grants but overwhelmingly funded by the private sector—can flourish,” says UC Berkeley’s Carol Mimura.