Biden says US will have enough vaccine for all adults by end of May

President Biden on Tuesday said that the United States will have enough vaccine supply to vaccinate all American adults for coronavirus by the end of May, crediting a “stepped up process” under his administration.

Biden made the announcement while outlining a partnership between Merck and Johnson & Johnson to produce the latter’s single-dose coronavirus vaccine.

“We’re now on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult in America by the end of May,” Biden said in remarks Tuesday afternoon at the White House. “When we came into office the prior administration had contracted for not nearly enough vaccine to cover adults in America. We rectified that.”

Helping to meet that goal: A new partnership also announced Tuesday where Merck will help make the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Department of Health and Human Services said the company will have 100 million doses by the end of May instead of the end of June. The new timeline is more condensed than Biden’s previous prediction that the U.S. would have enough vaccines for all American adults — 600 million doses — by the end of July.

Logistics important: Having the supply is not the same as getting the shots administered. States, territories and pharmacies need to have the capability to handle the increased demand that comes with it, including scheduling appointments and convincing vaccine-hesitant people.