Biden Aims To Vaccinate 70% of American Adults by July 4

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday his new goal of administering at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine to 70 percent of American adults by July 4. According to federal data, roughly one-third of the population are currently fully vaccinated. "If we succeed in this effort, as we did with the last, then Americans will have taken a serious step towards returning to normal," Biden said, referring to his previous goal of administering 200 million COVID-19 vaccines before his 100th day in office. Biden said the next phase of the vaccination effort focuses on people who are more hesitant to get the shot. To motivate those who are hesitant, Biden's speech Tuesday pointed to the role of the Trump administration in the vaccines' development, and to CDC guidelines saying that vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks. Biden also said that if the FDA authorizes the vaccine for adolescents, his administration would equip 20,000 pharmacy sites and pediatricians with vaccines in the coming weeks. The story received coverage across the political spectrum. Some left- and center-rated outlets pointed to polls showing a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy among Republicans. Coverage from the right tended to focus on the logistics needed to meet Biden's goal.