Biden says U.S. on track for enough vaccines for every adult in U.S. by end-May

Biden announced that Merck & Co Inc will help make rival Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in a partnership that he said was similar to those seen during World War Two. With three vaccines now available, Biden said he was confident the country would reach his goal of delivering 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in 100 days.

Biden also ordered U.S. states to prioritize COVID-19 vaccinations for teachers to ensure children could return to school quickly and safely, and called for every educator to receive at least one shot by the end of March.

He said increased production of three vaccines would boost the effort to reopen U.S. schools, citing growing mental health concerns and the risk of widening disparities caused by the challenges of remote learning.

Biden said over 30 states had already taken steps to ensure educators were vaccinated, and said he was using the full authority of the federal government to direct the remaining states to follow suit.