America Can Get 90 Percent Of Its Population Vaccinated. Here's How.


     America has already done more to get out COVID vaccines at home and abroad than most nations ever thought it would. Nearly 77 percent of the total U.S. population has at least gotten the first dose of the vaccine while more than 65 percent has been fully vaccinated and nearly 90 million Americans have been boosted. That is 250 million people. Meanwhile, we have pledged a billion COVID vaccines around the world, of which 500 million have already been distributed. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been given full authorization by the FDA: prior to August 2021 for the Pfizer vaccine and January 2022 for the Moderna vaccine, they were under the "emergency use" authorization, which means the benefits outweigh the risks. Now, they have been proven as effective at preventing COVID as the flu vaccine is at preventing the flu, etc., with very few side effects, meaning they can be used in perpetuity. As a result, school districts across the country have begun requiring them in their list of vaccines. However, this is nowhere near good enough. 

     Dr. Fauci believes that critical mass can be reached at 85 percent; I believe 90 percent would be a better estimate simply because it is a more ambitious goal to shoot for. As a result, I'm launching the #90ForNormalcy challenge to get 90 percent of the U.S. population fully vaccinated and boosted within the next year. As we approach Valentine's Day, what greater act of love could there be than protecting that around you from a virus that has killed 900,000 Americans? However, this January, we got a major gift with the announcement that vaccines for kids under five could be available as soon as late February or early March. Children who are not eligible for the COVID vaccine make up almost nine percent of the U.S. population. If kids under five can be vaccinated at the same rate as the eligible population, or 80 percent, that would represent seven percent of the total U.S. population, bringing the total percent of the population that is at least partially vaccinated to almost 84 percent. That would leave one last push to get to 90 percent.

     It should not take another wave of death and suffering to boost the vaccination rates, which rose after the Delta and Omicron variants arose. Another key could be governors. Working to get every state, territory, and district to 90 percent vaccination would be an incredibly effective tactic because, as history will show you, Americans are often just as loyal to their state or their region as they are to the country as a whole. Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, chair of the National Governors Association, thanked President Biden for taking the politics out of COVID. Grassroots outreach has proven an effective tactic in the most hesitant communities, and this, combined with President Biden's focus on ensuring equal access to vaccines in underprivileged communities, would help close regional hot spots for hesitancy that leave some communities 90 percent vaccinated and others 30 percent vaccinated. Working with governors to set measurable goals, prioritizing local outreach, and expanding access to vaccines for kids under five is a three-pronged strategy that could easily get 90 percent of Americans vaccinated and boosted.

     After this, of course, the goal should be to get 90 percent of the world fully vaccinated and boosted. However, for now, you can keep track of your state's progress on vaccines below.

Partial Vaccination Rate by State and Territory:

95+ Percent: 
  1. Connecticut
  2. Massachusetts
  3. Puerto Rico
  4. Rhode Island
  5. Washington, D.C.
  6. Vermont
90-94.9 Percent:
  1. Guam
  2. New Jersey
  3. Maine
  4. New York
  5. New Hampshire
85-89.9 Percent:
  1. Hawaii
  2. New Mexico
  3. Maryland
  4. Virginia
  5. North Carolina 
  6. Pennsylvania
  7. Delaware
80-84.9 Percent:
  1. California
  2. Washington
  3. American Samoa
  4. Colorado
  5. Florida 
75-79.9 Percent:
  1. Illinois
  2. Oregon (almost)
  3. South Dakota
  4. Northern Mariana Islands (almost)
  5. Nevada
  6. Minnesota
  7. Arizona
  8. Texas
70-74.9 Percent:
  1. Kansas
  2. Wisconsin
  3. Utah
  4. Texas
  5. Oklahoma
  6. Nebraska
  7. Alaska
65-69.9 Percent:
  1. Arkansas
  2. Iowa
  3. Michigan
  4. South Carolina (almost)
  5. Kentucky 
  6. Missouri
  7. Georgia
  8. Montana
  9. North Dakota
  10. West Virginia
60-64.9 Percent:
  1. Alabama
  2. Indiana
  3. Ohio
  4. Tennessee
  5. U.S. Virgin Islands
  6. Idaho
  7. Louisiana
  8. Mississippi
55-59.9 Percent:
  1. Wyoming (almost)

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