The Biden administration will increase the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses going to states this week.

States will receive 13.6 million doses per week starting this week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday. The current shipment is about 11 million doses.

That marks a 57 percent increase over the amount states were getting when Biden first took office, Psaki said.

Why it matters: The increased shipment comes as the U.S. faces more contagious COVID-19 variants.

While case numbers have dipped in recent weeks, experts expect the drop to be temporary.

Governors have been pleading for more vaccine doses, but the administration is limited to how much it can give because of the limited supply.