25 U.S. States Have Fully Vaccinated 50% of Adults Against COVID-19, CDC Data Shows
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The United States is making tremendous strides in its nationwide rollout of the coronavirus vaccine as a means to end the pandemic.
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that 25 U.S. states (half of the country), as well as Washington D.C., have fully vaccinated at least 50% of their adult population as of Sunday.
Those states are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, according to CNN.
Maine currently has the highest percentage of the adult population vaccinated against the virus, CDC data shows, with over 62% of residents ages 18 and older fully inoculated.
On the flip side, the states with the lowest vaccination rates for their adult populations are Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana, according to the national public health institute.
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In total, 61.3% of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 49.6% percent have received both doses and are fully vaccinated.
COVID-19 cases are also at their lowest numbers in over a year in the U.S. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the national average of coronavirus cases last week was down 57% from its average the month prior. The week-long average of COVID-related deaths was also down 23% from a month ago, the data shows.
Currently, there are three vaccines approved in the United States: Pfizer and Moderna, which require two doses, and Johnson & Johnson, which requires just one. Pfizer's vaccine has also been approved by the FDA for children ages 12 to 15.
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On May 13, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated Americans could now be indoors or outdoors without masks or social distancing in most cases.
"The science is clear: If you are fully vaccinated, you are protected, and you can start doing the things that you stopped doing because of the pandemic," the CDC said in a statement.
Fully vaccinated people will still need to wear masks at the doctor, in hospitals or in long-term care facilities, and while traveling on public transit such as buses, planes or trains. Masks will also still be required for who are fully vaccinated in transportation hubs such as airports or train stations, as well as in jails and homeless shelters. The CDC is also leaving the final decision on mask mandates to local and state governments, which can continue to require them for fully vaccinated individuals.
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