>> SHOTS FOR THE VIRUS IN THE
FIRST 100 DAYS OF OUR OFFICE,
100 MILLION SHOTS IN 100 DAYS.
IT WAS CONSIDERED AMBITIOUS,
SOME EVEN SUGGESTED IT WAS
SOMEWHAT AUDACIOUS.
EXPERTS SAID THAT IT -- PLAN
WAS, QUOTE, DEFINITELY
AGGRESSIVE, AND DISTRIBUTION
WOULD HAVE TO BE SEAMLESS FOR US
TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
ONE HEADLINE SIMPLY PUT IT,
QUOTE, IT WON’T BE EASY, END OF
QUOTE.
IT WASN’T.
WHEN I TOOK OFFICE, WHEN WE TOOK
OFFICE, THERE WAS A LOT THAT HAD
TO BE DONE.
NEEDED MORE VACCINES, MORE
VACCINENATORS, MORE PLACES FOR
PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED.
AND WE NEEDED A WHOLE OF
GOVERNMENT APPROACH.
SO I DIRECTED JEFF ZINES,
COORDINATOR OF OUR COVID-19
RESPONSE, TO PUT US ON A WAR
FOOTING, AND I MEANT THAT IN A
LITERAL SENSE, TO GET US ON
TRACK TO TRULY BEAT THIS VIRUS.
AND I’M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT
TOMORROW, 58 DAYS INTO OUR
ADMINISTRATION, WE WILL HAVE MET
MY GOAL OF ADMINISTERING 100
MILLION SHOTS TO OUR FELLOW
AMERICANS.
THAT’S WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE,
AND EVEN WITH THE SETBACKS WE
FACED DURING THE WINTER STORMS.
AND THAT’S ANOTHER BIG STEP ON
THE PATH TO CHECKING THE --
PUTTING CHECKS IN POCKETS AND
SHOTS IN PEOPLE’S ARMS.
WHEN WE CROSSED THE 50 MILLION
DOSES JUST THREE WEEKS AGO, I
TOLD YOU THAT EVERY TIME WE HIT THE 50 MILLION MARK I’D UPDATE
YOU ON OUR PROGRESS.
TODAY, 65% OF PEOPLE AGE 65 OR
OLDER HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE
SHOT.
AND 36% ARE FULLY VACCINATED.
THAT’S KEY BECAUSE THIS IS A
POPULATION THAT REPRESENTS 80%
OF THE WELL OVER 500,000
COVID-19 DEATHS THAT HAVE
OCCURRED IN AMERICA.
WE HAVE NEARLY DOUBLED THE
AMOUNT OF VACCINE DOSES THAT WE
DISTRIBUTE TO STATES, TRIBES,
AND TERRITORIES EACH WEEK.
WE HAVE GONE FROM ONE MILLION
SHOTS A DAY THAT I PROMISED IN
DECEMBER, BEFORE WE WERE SWORN
IN TO AN AVERAGE OF 2.5 MILLION
SHOTS A DAY, OUTPACING THE REST
OF THE WORLD SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND HERE’S HOW WE ACCOMPLISHED
THIS -- USING THE POWER GIVEN TO
A PRESIDENT UNDER THE DEFENSE
PRODUCTION ACT, WE EXPEDITED
CRITICAL MATERIALS AND VACCINE
PRODUCTION SUCH AS EQUIPMENT,
MACHINERY, AND SUPPLIES.
WE WORK WITH VACCINE
MANUFACTURERS TO SPEED UP THE
DELIVERY OF MILLIONS MORE DOSES
AND BROKERED A HISTORIC
MANUFACTURING PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN COMPETING COMPANIES WHO
PUT PATRIOTISM AND PUBLIC HEALTH
FIRST.
THESE STEPS PUT US ON TRACK TO
HAVE ENOUGH VACCINE, ENOUGH
VACCINE SUPPLY FOR EVERY ADULT
AMERICAN BY THE END OF MAY.
MONTHS, MONTH EARLIER THAN
ANYONE EXPECTED.
AND WE STOOD UP OR SUPPLIED MORE
THAN 600 COMMUNITY VACCINATION
SITES THAT ARE ADMINISTERING
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SHOTS
PER DAY.
WE LAUNCHED A FEDERAL PHARMACY
PROGRAM WHICH HAS ALLOWED
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS TO GET A
SHOT AT ONE OF -- EXCUSE ME, ONE
OF 14,000 LOCAL PHARMACIES IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THE SAME WAY THEY GET THEIR FLU
SHOT.
AND FOR FOLKS WHO AREN’T NEAR A
PHARMACY OR MASS VACCINATION
CENTER, WE’VE SUPPLIED MORE THAN
500 MOBILE CLINICS LIKE POPUP
SITES OR VANS, MEETING PEOPLE
WHERE THEY ARE, MEETING PEOPLE
WHERE THEY ARE.
WE DEVELOPED -- DEPLOYED NEARLY
6,000 FEDERAL PERSONNEL,
INCLUDING FEMA, ACTIVE DUTY
MILITARY, AND DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO
SUPPORT VACCINATIONS AND SERVE
ADS
AS VACCINATORS, PUTTING THE
NEEDLE IN PEOPLE’S ARMS.
WE’RE SUPPLYING VACCINES TO
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS TO
REACH THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN THE
HARDEST HIT, THE HARDEST HIT AND
SUFFERED THE MOST, ESPECIALLY
BLACK, LATINO, NATIVE AMERICAN,
AND RURAL COMMUNITIES.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE
WE BELIEVE THAT SPEED AND
EFFICIENCY MUST BE MATCHED WITH
FAIRNESS AND EQUITY.
WHEN VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS AND I
TOOK A VIRTUAL TOUR OF A
VACCINATION CENTER IN ARIZONA
NOT LONG AGO, ONE OF THE NURSES
ON THAT TOUR INJECTING PEOPLE,
GIVING VACCINATIONS SAID THAT
EACH SHOT WAS LIKE ADMINISTERING
A DOSE OF HOPE, A DOSE OF HOPE.
THAT’S HOW SHE PHRASED IT.
BEHIND THESE 100 MILLION SHOTS
ARE MILLIONS OF LIVES CHANGED
WHEN PEOPLE RECEIVE THAT DOSE OF
HOPE.
GRANDPARENTS CAN HUG THEIR
GRANDCHILDREN AGAIN.
FRONTLINE WORKERS WHO CAN SHOW
UP AT THEIR JOBS WITHOUT THE
SAME FEAR THEY USED TO HAVE.
TEACHERS WITH THE CONFIDENCE TO
HEAD BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM.
THESE MILESTONES ARE SIGNIFICANT
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
BUT WE HAVE MUCH MORE TO DO,
MUCH MORE TO DO.
AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
WILL HELP US DO IT.
IN ADDITION TO THE CASH PAYMENTS
TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES, IT
ALSO PROVIDES THE FUNDS TO ADD
VACCINATORS, TO SUPPLY MORE
COMMUNITY VACCINATION -- SUPPORT
MORE COMMUNITY VACCINATION
CENTERS, AND INCREASE TESTING.
IT WILL HELP US ACCELERATE
NATIONWIDE EFFORTS TO REOPEN OUR
SCHOOLS SAFELY.
AND AS I TOLD THE NATION LAST
WEEK, I’VE DIRECTED ALL STATES,
TRIBES, AND TERRITORIES TO MAKE
ALL ADULTS ELIGIBLE TO BE
VACCINATED NO LATER THAN MAY THE
1st.
I’M GLAD TO SEE THAT SEVERAL
STATES ARE ALREADY TAKING THAT
STEP TO MAKE MORE AND MORE
AMERICANS ELIGIBLE, EVEN BEFORE
MAY 1st.
TOMORROW WE WILL HIT 100 MILLION
DEBT CRISIS
DOSES OUR ADMINISTRATION HAS
ADMINISTERED.
I’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT’S JUST THE
FLOOR.
WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE BEAT
THIS PANDEMIC.
NEXT WEEK, I WILL ANNOUNCE OUR
NEXT GOAL TO PUT SHOTS IN ARMS.
IN IS
THIS IS A TIME FOR OPTIMISM, BUT
IT’S NOT A TIME FOR RELAXATION.
I NEED ALL AMERICANS, I NEED ALL
OF YOU TO DO YOUR PART.
WASH YOUR HANDS, STAY SOCIALLY
DISTANCED, KEEP MASKING UP AS
RECOMMENDED BY THE CDC, AND GET
VACCINATED WHEN IT’S YOUR TURN.
NOW’S NOT THE TIME TO LET DOWN
OUR GUARD.
IN THE LAST WEEK, WE’VE SEEN
INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF CASES
IN SEVERAL STATES.
SCIENTISTS MADE CLEAR THAT
THINGS MAY GET WORSE ADS NEW
RARE VANTS-- AS NEW VARIANTS SPR
GETTING VACCINATED IS THE BEST
THING WE CAN DO TO FIGHT BACK
AGAINST THESE VARIANTS.
WHILE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE
VACCINATED, WE NEED MILLIONS
MORE TO BE VACCINATED.
AND AGAIN, I NEED YOU TO GET
VACCINATED WHEN IT -- WHEN IT’S
YOUR TURN, WHEN YOU’RE ABLE TO
DO THAT.
I NEED YOUR HELP.
I NEED YOU TO HELP.
NOT JUST THE COUNTRY BUT YOUR
FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR
NEIGHBORS, GET THEM VACCINATED,
AS WELL.
IF WE KEEP OUR GUARD UP, STICK
TOGETHER, AND STICK WITH THE
SCIENCE, WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO
A FOURTH OF JULY THAT FEELS A
BIT MORE NORMAL WITH SMALL
GROUPS ABLE TO GATHER FOR
COOKOUTS IN BACK YARDS.
AND WHERE WE BEGIN TO DECLARE
OUR INDEPENDENCE ON INDEPENDENCE
DAY FROM THE VIRUS.
LOOK, TOGETHER, TOGETHER WE’RE
GOING TO COME THROUGH THIS
STRONGER, WITH RENEWED FAITH IN
EACH OTHER, AND OUR GOVERNMENT
THAT FULFILLS ITS MOST IMPORTANT
FUNCTION -- PROTECTING THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
LET ME BE CLEAR AGAIN -- WEARING
THIS MASK IN THE MEANTIME,
MAKING SURE YOU WASH YOUR HANDS,
MAKING SURE YOU SOCIALLY
DISTANCE, LISTEN TO THE CDC.
WE’VE GOT TO REACH THE POINT
WHERE WE HAVE HERD IMMUNITY
MEANING WHERE WE HAVE A VAST --
MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN VACCINATED BEFORE WE
CAN STOP WEARING THESE.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE DON’T LET WHAT
HAPPENS WHAT YOU SEE IN EUROPE,
WHAT YOU SEE ON TELEVISION.
KEEP THE FAITH.
KEEP WEARING THE MASK.
KEEP WASHING YOUR HANDS.
AND KEEP SOCIALLY DISTANCED.
WE’RE GOING TO BEAT THIS.
WE’RE WAY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, BUT
WE’VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO.
JUST WANTED TO BRING YOU UP TO
DATE.