President Biden to push deadline for all adults to be eligible for vaccine ahead to April 19
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
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.
For more travel tips and news, sign up for our daily newsletter.
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.
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 Melodie Yvonne/Getty Images.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,650
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2X points on all travel and dining, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases within your first year of account opening.
- Earn 2X points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
- Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.