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President Biden to push deadline for all adults to be eligible for vaccine ahead to April 19

April 06, 2021
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3 min read
Horizontal color photo of White House in Washington DC on a bright summer day
President Biden to push deadline for all adults to be eligible for vaccine ahead to April 19
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Editor's Note

This story has been updated with new information.

There's major news for all of us who love travel — and the news has gotten even better since March.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden is expected to urge states to open COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults by April 19 — nearly two weeks earlier than originally planned. In March, Biden had pushed for a May 1 deadline for all states to open up vaccine eligibility to all adults with July 4 in mind in order for Americans to celebrate Independence Day safely.

According to The New York Times, the "vast majority" of states have already announced plans to meet or beat the April 19 deadline. As of Tuesday, April 6, all adults aged 16 and older in New York State are eligible to register to receive the vaccine.

Related: Your guide to vaccine passports

“If we do this together, by July the Fourth, there’s a good chance you, your families and friends will be able to get together in your backyard or in your neighborhood and have a cookout or a barbecue and celebrate Independence Day,” Biden said during an address to the nation in March.

A White House official said last week that the deadline has been pushed up to April 19 because of increases in shipments of the vaccines, which has led to states handing out vaccine doses more rapidly.

The president had previously suggested we wouldn't reach the milestone that there would be enough doses for all adults until July. The Biden Administration is more concerned with vaccination infrastructure at this point than the number of vaccines. In other words: Getting shots into arms is a top priority.

The government will end up leaning more heavily on large national chains such as Walgreens and CVS in the next few weeks to achieve this ambitious goal. The number of pharmacies participating in the federal pharmacy vaccination program will increase from the current 17,000 locations to 40,000, according to CNN.

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More than three million doses of a vaccine are being given across the country each day. About 62.4 million Americans have been fully vaccinated. In total, about 207.9 million doses of vaccines have been delivered to states, territories and federal agencies.

Related: Texas and Mississippi lift most COVID-19 restrictions

Eager travelers should remember that getting the COVID-19 vaccine won't immediately bring about a return to normalcy. Travelers will need to be mindful about scheduling their second dose, when applicable, and waiting at least a couple of weeks for the vaccine to take effect before traveling. And even being fully vaccinated against the coronavirus won't get you out of the new testing requirement for travelers flying to the U.S. from abroad — at least, not right now.

Related: White House won’t require vaccine passports for travel

Additional reporting by Emily McNutt.

Featured image by Getty Images
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.