huffpost– The U.S. administered more than 1 million vaccine doses Friday, marking the third day in a row more than a million shots were distributed, according to a White House official.
Cyrus Shahpar, the White House’s COVID-19 data director, said more than 1.05 million doses were given Friday, including 526,000 first shots.
Shahpar noted that 200 million Americans have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The U.S. has already fallen short of several vaccine goals, including the aim to have at least 70% of American adults vaccinated by July 4, and a commitment to send 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses abroad by the end of June.
This week, the White House recommended that Americans who got the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines receive booster shots eight months after their second does. (A booster for those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also likely, but the company hasn’t yet completed a clinical trial to determine the efficacy of an additional dose.)
While the vaccines are highly effective, health officials said “a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.”
Hospitalizations have steadily risen as the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus continues to spread, and as many Americans continue to refuse the vaccine.
