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WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden travels to North Carolina on Thursday to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the inoculation rate slows despite a nationwide effort to shoot themselves to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The White House admitted this week that it would not meet its self-imposed deadline to have 70% of American adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4, noting that those between the ages of 18 and 26 were particularly reluctant to be vaccinated.
The presidential visit comes as the most contagious Delta variant of the virus takes hold across the world and emerges as the biggest obstacle to stopping COVID-19 inside U.S. borders, the expert said. infectious disease Anthony Fauci earlier this week.
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have met the Bidens target, but the country as a whole and several other states are lagging behind, including North Carolina.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, only 55% of the southern state’s adult population has had at least one stroke despite a host of incentives, including a million dollar lottery .
(See a chart of infection and vaccination rates in the United States here.)
Biden plans to visit the Green Road Community Center in northeast Raleigh, where he will see a mobile vaccination unit and meet workers and volunteers.
The trip to North Carolina, Biden’s first since taking office in January, is part of a series of COVID-related events on Thursday, including a press call from second gentleman Douglas Emhoff and the US surgeon general Vivek Murthy to highlight private sector efforts targeting young people.
First Lady Jill Biden and Fauci are in Florida to visit vaccination sites, including a drive-thru site and one in a hockey arena.
Vice President Kamala Harris will host a virtual meeting with community groups.
Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Heather Timmons and Sonya Hepinstall
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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