President Joe Biden has once again moved up the timeline for when he thinks vaccines will be made available for every adult in America, saying Tuesday he believes that goal will be achieved by the end of May.
“We’re now on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May,” Biden said Tuesday at the White House.
The president’s announcement is a marked shift from February, when Biden and other administration officials said they would have enough doses for 300 million Americans by the end of July.
The rapid escalation in the availability of COVID vaccines comes days after the FDA gave emergency use authorization to Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine regimen. On Tuesday, the White House announced it had invoked the Defense Production Act in order to allow rival drugmaker Merck & Co. to help produce the newly approved coronavirus vaccine in an effort to expand supply more quickly.
In another major announcement, Biden said Tuesday he is using his federal authority to direct every state to ensure teachers, school staff, and other educators in K-8 schools receive at least one dose of any available coronavirus vaccine by the end of March.
Biden has long pledged to open the majority of K-8 schools across the country by the end of his first 100 days in office, but his administration has offered conflicting guidance on the issue.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Read More: US Will Have Vaccinations for Adults by “End of May”