Biden says country will hit 100 million COVID-19 shots this week

President Biden on Thursday took a small victory lap, announcing that the country will hit his goal of administering 100 million coronavirus shots tomorrow.

“Behind this 100 million shots are millions of lives changed when people receive that dose of hope,” Biden said, adding that number is “just the floor. We will not stop until we beat this pandemic.”

Biden entered office with a goal of administering 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office. He described it as an “audacious” and “aggressive” goal, but experts at the time argued the country would need to be much more ambitious in the coming months, particularly since the U.S. was already administering hundreds of thousands of shots a day when Biden came into office.

According to federal data, the U.S. has already surpassed 100 million shots, but since Biden doesn’t count Jan. 20, Thursday was slightly less than 100 million.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country has administered 115 million doses, and is on track for 200 million shots by the 100-day mark.

Don’t get careless: But Biden added that the increased pace of vaccinations doesn’t mean that the public should get complacent.

“This is a time for optimism but it’s not a time for relaxation. I need all Americans, all of you, to do your part,” Biden said.

The number of coronavirus infectious has plateaued after weeks of decline. The country is averaging 50,000 new cases a day and health officials are warning about a potential new surge as more states lift restrictions that have kept infections in check.