COVID-19 has continued its spread around the world, and the number of cases continues to rise. As of late January, around 100 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported, with more than 2 million people around the world dying from the disease. Although most people who get the disease recover from it without long-term problems, others stay sick for a long time. The most COVID-19 cases in the world are in the United States.
When Joe Biden became President, he wanted to act right away to prevent COVID-19 from spreading even more. People want to stay healthy and go back to work and school without fear of catching the disease. Biden set a goal of administering 100 million doses of COVID vaccine in the first 100 days of his presidency. Many in his administration are hopeful that they will beat that goal.
Vaccinating many people takes a huge effort. Biden’s administration will work with officials in states and communities to set up thousands of vaccination centers across the country. They will send mobile units to areas without community centers. Beginning in February, people will also be able to get their COVID shots at pharmacies.
President Biden has promised that these shots will be free for everyone. He has also used a special act that helps companies get the supplies they need to make new vaccines. They are also speeding up production of the equipment to administer vaccines, such as tubes, needles, and protective clothing. Vaccinations will first go to people over 65 years old and workers such as first responders, teachers, and people who work in grocery stores. After that, more people will be able to get their vaccinations.
Biden’s team launched a public campaign to help people understand how important it is to get the vaccination. They wanted to assure people that the vaccine is safe. Biden plans to build a corps of 100,000 health professionals. They will educate the public about the vaccine and trace people who have been exposed to COVID so that the spread of the disease can be slowed. Everyone will need to work together to slow the spread of COVID-19.
What Do You Think? A friend says, “It’s not that important for people to get their COVID-19 vaccinations.” How will you respond?
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