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The U.S. administered the highest number of weekly COVID-19 vaccinations during the past week since early July, according to ABC News.

More than 7 million doses were given throughout the week. On Saturday, more than 1.15 million new vaccinations were reported from the day before, including 316,000 newly vaccinated people and 502,000 booster shots.

“Over 7M doses reported administered in the past week, highest seven day total since July 4th,” Cyrus Shahpar, MD, the White House COVID-19 data director, wrote in a post on Twitter.

The increase in vaccinations stems from the rollout of booster shots and a push for employee vaccinations, ABC News reported. During the past week, the number of Americans receiving booster shots began outpacing those receiving their first or second initial vaccine doses.

Now more than 7.78 million people have received a booster dose, according to the latest CDC data updated on Saturday. About 4% of adults have received a booster dose, including 11% of ages 65 and older.

Overall, about 76% of the eligible population, which includes ages 12 and older, has received at least one vaccine dose, and 66% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden renewed his call for employers to implement vaccine mandates, according to The Associated Press.

“There is no other way to beat the pandemic than to get the vast majority of the American people vaccinated,” he said at an event in Chicago promoting the requirement.

“Without them, we face endless months of chaos in our hospitals, damage to our economy and anxiety in our schools and empty restaurants and much less commerce,” he added.

About 67 million adults in the U.S. remain unvaccinated, Biden said. A forthcoming rule by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will mandate that all employers with more than 100 employees must require their staffs to be vaccinated or face weekly testing, the AP reported.

Biden encouraged businesses to implement a mandate before the OSHA rule goes into place and to go one step further by requiring shots for employees without offering a testing option.

“I know the vaccination requirements are a tough medicine — unpopular to some, politics for others — but they’re lifesaving, they’re game-changing for our country,” he said.

Sources

ABC News: “U.S. reports highest weekly vaccination since July 4, White House says.”

Twitter: @cyrusshahpar46, October 9, 2021.

NBC News: “Covid-19 booster shots now surpassing initial vaccination doses by nearly half.”

CDC: “COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States.”

The Associated Press: “Biden, a convert to vaccine mandates, champions compliance.”

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