US outlook improving as vaccinations rise and deaths fall

FILE – In this March 23, 2021, file photo, Anita Shetty, left, vaccinates Doris Lucas with a Pfizer vaccine in Atlanta. More than three months into the U.S. vaccination drive, many of the numbers paint an increasingly encouraging picture as dozens of states have thrown open vaccinations to all adults or are planning to do so in a matter of weeks. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)

by: Associated Press

Posted: Mar 24, 2021 / 12:27 PM AST

Updated: Mar 24, 2021 / 12:09 PM AST

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

NEW YORK — More than three months into the U.S. vaccination drive, many of the numbers paint an increasingly encouraging picture.

Seventy percent of Americans 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and COVID-19 deaths have dipped below 1,000 a day on average for the first time since November. Also, dozens of states have thrown open vaccinations to all adults or are planning to do so in a matter of weeks.

Two CVS Pharmacies in Memphis will soon have the Covid-19 shot

The outlook in the U.S. stands in stark contrast to the deteriorating situation in places like Brazil and Europe.

At the same time, public health experts in the U.S. are warning at every turn that it’s too early to declare victory and that relaxing social distancing and other measures could easily lead to another surge.