- The US has vaccinated more than 31 million people against COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins data.
- This means the US has now vaccinated more people than Americans who got the coronavirus.
- Some 29 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the US, more than any other country.
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The US has reached a pivotal milestone in its fight against the novel coronavirus by vaccinating more people than those who tested positive for it in the country.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, more than 31 million people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the US as of Tuesday, surpassing the total number of cases the country has recorded during the pandemic — just north of 29 million.
It has been more than a year since the virus first started making ground in the US, first in Seattle and New York City and then spreading around the country.
While the virus was first identified in China, the US came to bear the brunt of the outbreak, with more cases and deaths — 525,816 as of Tuesday — than any other country.
Since the development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines last fall and winter, the US has also led the charge on vaccinations. When it comes to total vaccines given out, no country comes close to the US, which has inoculated more than 31 million people. Israel is in second place, with nearly 4 million vaccinations.
However, being one of the most populous countries in the world means that the US has a long way to go to vaccinate a significant percentage of its population, in order to achieve herd immunity to the virus.
The British territory of Gibraltar currently tops the list when it comes to total percentage of population vaccinated, at 46.18%. The US falls in ninth place on that list, having vaccinated a little less than 10% of its population.
As more and more Americans are vaccinated against the coronavirus, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention released guidance this week saying that fully vaccinated people can host small indoor gatherings, but must still continue to wear a mask when in public.
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