Americans are not as enthusiastic about Covid-19 vaccinations as they once were, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The average U.S. shot rate is 322,000 per day. This includes booster, first and second shots. This is a decrease from the 3.3 million shots per day that were recorded in April when vaccines were made available to all adults. It’s also the lowest level since January 2021 when shots were only available to essential workers and older adults.
As the omicron wave recedes the urgency surrounding vaccinations could be slowing down with the U.S. averaging 47.300 new cases per day, according an NBC News tally — a level never seen since July.
The declining number of cases has prompted states to relax their vaccine mandates and masks. President Joe Biden declared last week in his State of the Union address that “it’s time for Americans get back to work.”
The slowdown is reflected in the fact that 77 million Americans, or 23 percent of the U.S. total population, remain unvaccinated. This includes virtually all children below 5 years old.
The majority of shots administered in the U.S. today are boosters. These have outpaced the first doses since Oct. CDC data indicates that the country is receiving fewer boosters per day than it was in November. This is down from 1.2 million at the peak. About 87 million people are eligible for the shot. Half of them have not received a booster.