CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday morning that the country wins when anyone gets the COVID-19 vaccine.
Walensky told the “Today” show the U.S. is pushing to get more people vaccinated to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of getting one dose in the arm of at least 70% of Americans by July 4.
- “We’re doing all that we can to not just boost those numbers, but to reach this goal … Every shot in every arm is a win because that person is now safe and protected from getting COVID-19,” she said.
- She added: “There is no magic target for the herd immunity. But we believe that getting to 70% would be going an extraordinarily long way to making sure that we have community protection.”
Walensky said President Biden hopes to use the month of June to “to understand all of the reasons why people may not have yet rolled up their sleeves and meet them where they are.”
What is the ‘National Month of Action?’
Biden said Wednesday that June will be the “National Month of Action” to help people get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to to CNN.
- “It’s going to take everyone, everyone — the federal government, the state governments, local, tribal and territorial governments, private sector, and most importantly the American people — to get to this 70% mark so we can declare our independence from COVID-19 and free ourselves from the grip it has held over us, our lives, for the better part of a year,” Biden said, according to CNN.
Biden said people who are not vaccinated remain at risk for getting severely ill or dying from COVID-19, CNN reports. He also called on younger Americans to get vaccinated even if they feel safe from the coronavirus.
- “All over the world, people are desperate to get a shot that every American can get at their neighborhood drug store at no cost with no wait,” Biden said, according to CNN.
The White House released a number of other action items for the month, hoping to “mobilize national organizations, local government leaders, community-based and faith-based partners, businesses, employers, social media influencers, celebrities, athletes, colleges, young people, and thousands of volunteers.”