Washington, May 13 (IANS): The US is reporting an average of 2.2 million shots of Covid-19 vaccines per day over the past week, the latest federal data revealed, a slight increase from the most recent low reported on May , when it dipped below 2 million for the first time since March.
While it is too early to say whether this recent uptick will turn into a steady trend, data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday, showed an increase in reported first doses, indicating that "new people are entering a vaccination program", Xinhua news agency quoted a CNBC News report as saying on Wednesday.
Tuesday's reported totals also included 150,000 Johnson & Johnson (J&J) shots, the highest one-day total since April 15.
The latest seven-day average of J&J shots was 106,000 per day, down from a high point of 425,000 in April.
More than 46 per cent of the population has received one or more shots and 35 per cent are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously on Wednesday to recommend giving Pfizer/BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine to children as young as 12, agreeing that the benefits of inoculating kids and teens outweigh any risks from the jab.
The US still accounts for the world's highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths.
As of Thursday, the country's overall caseload and death toll stood at 32,813,531 and 583,647, according to the Johns Hopkins University.