By AFP
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| WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 11: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks as he gives a primetime address to the nation from the East Room of the White House March 11, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden gave the address to mark the one-year anniversary of the shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) |
President Joe Biden will order authorities across the entire United States to lift priority restrictions on people wanting to get Covid-19 vaccinations by the start of May, an official said Thursday.
“He will direct states that no later than May 1, all Americans need to be eligible to receive the vaccine,” said a senior administration official, who asked not to be identified.
Biden will discuss his plans in a primetime televised speech later Thursday.
The official noted that this doesn’t mean all adults will actually get their shots by that date.
However, current measures put in place to prioritize people by age, professions or underlying health conditions will be eliminated, opening the door for the entire US adult population to be vaccinated, just as supplies peak.
“By the end of May we expect to have enough vaccine supply available for all adults in this country,” the official said.
The order will mark a rare moment of presidential authority extended to every corner of the country, as state governments have thus far led the way in setting the vaccination parameters.
The official said Biden would be acting under his authority through the Department of Health and Human Services.
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