Biden’s new goal is 200 million COVID-19 vaccinations in first 100 days

President Biden on Thursday announced an updated goal to administer 200 million COVID-19 vaccinations in his first 100 days in office during his first press conference.

During his first official press briefing, Biden laid out his new target after the U.S. reached his original goal of 100 million vaccinations on Friday, the president’s 59th day in office. 

“That’s right: 200 million shots in 100 days,” Biden said. “I know it’s ambitious, twice our original goal. But no other country in the world has even come close, not even close to what we are doing. I believe we can do it.”

With more than 130 million vaccinations administered, the U.S. would need to give fewer than 70 million vaccine doses in the next 35 days to meet the target.

The U.S. currently has a seven-day average of about 2.5 million doses per day, which would allow the country to reach 200 million by April 23 — a week before the 100-day deadline — according to CNBC. 

CNN and NBC News first reported the new target ahead of the press briefing.

Under their deals, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have committed to providing enough doses for the country’s adult population before the end of May, as well as another 100 million doses in June, according to The New York Times.

The government currently has a deal with Johnson & Johnson to deliver 200 million doses, with half of those doses arriving by the end of June.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 130 million doses have been administered as of Wednesday morning. One-quarter of the population has received at least one dose, and 14 percent are fully vaccinated.

Biden also gave an update on his goal to fully reopen a majority of K-8 schools by his 100th day in office, saying nearly half are open.

“Not yet a majority, but we’re really close, and I believe in the 35 days left to go we’ll meet that goal as well,” the president said.

—Updated at 1:43 p.m.