Biden Directs All States to Make Adults Eligibile for Covid Vaccines by May 1

President Joe Biden offered a Fourth of July goal for the U.S. to begin returning to normal as “light in the darkness” to a weary nation on Thursday, counting on a rapidly expanding supply of coronavirus vaccine to raise American hopes.

In his first prime-time address as president, Biden told states he wants all adults in the U.S. made eligible for vaccines by May 1. That vision was already within reach before his announcement, on the first anniversary of lockdowns that paralyzed the world’s largest economy.

The new goal carried echoes of the last time Biden made a promise he was already on track to meet -- his declaration before taking office that his administration would preside over 100 million doses of vaccine jabbed into American arms in his first 100 days. By the time he was inaugurated, the U.S. was already nearing a pace of 1 million shots a day, virtually assuring the goal would be achieved.

And sure enough, Biden said Thursday that the nation would hit the threshold next week, just 60 days into his presidency, as vaccinations have sharply accelerated to a pace of more than 2.2 million shots per day, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.

Still, the new steps he announced to bring the pandemic to heel helped turn his speech into a bright contrast with his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. Biden’s remarks were heavy on empathy and encouragement for Americans exhausted by demands that they isolate from family and friends and wear masks outside their homes.

And by getting ahead of progress already underway in states, Biden can claim another accomplishment as vaccines are made available to all Americans in the weeks to come.

“If we do all this, if we do our part, if we do this together, by July 4 there’s a good chance you, your families and friends will be able to get together,” Biden said.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app.

Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake

Connect with us on…

Breaking News on YouTube