'We can't get complacent': Biden makes new push for vaccinations as Delta variant takes hold

After a sharp drop in vaccination rates, President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that his administration would send people door to door, set up clinics at workplaces, and encourage employers to provide paid time off as part of a fresh effort to reach tens of millions of unvaccinated Americans.

He urged Americans toget vaccinated even as the rise of the more transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant now accounts for 50 per cent of virus cases in many parts of the country.

“We are emerging from one of the darkest years in our nation’s history into a summer of hope and joy, hopefully. Think about where you were — where you were last year, where you are today; what you were able to do last year at this time and do today. It’s a year of hard-fought progress,” Biden said.

"We can’t get complacent now. The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family and the people you care about the most is get vaccinated. The best thing a community can do to protect themselves is to increase vaccination rates," he added.

"It seems to me it should cause everybody to think twice, and it should cause reconsideration especially among young people," Biden said on Tuesday at the White House, signalling urgency to boost vaccinations over the summer months.

According to White House figures, more than 182 million Americans have received at least one shot, including nearly 90% of seniors and 70% of adults over the age of 27.Since January, the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths has decreased by 90%.

The White House Covid response team is now focusing on getting vaccines to family doctors who treat children and adolescents. Biden hopes that by meeting them "where they are," teenagers ages 12 to 18 will be more likely to get vaccinated at back-to-school check-ups or sports physicals.

Biden reminded Americans that since May this year, almost every COVID-19 hospitalisation and death in the US has been among the unvaccinated.

"So, please get vaccinated now. It works. It`s free. And it`s never been easier, and it`s never been more important. Do it now -- for yourself and the people you care about; for your neighbourhood; for your country," Biden said. "It sounds corny, but it`s a patriotic thing to do."

Nearly 3 in 10 Americans say they are not likely to get vaccinated, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll published last week. In the same poll, 2 in 10 said they will definitely not get the shot.

US accounts for the world`s highest COVID-19 caseload and deaths. According to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard, the virus is responsible for 605,887 deaths in the US alone, since it arrived on the country`s west coast in January 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)