Singapore, Oct 28 (IANS): Despite being one of the first countries in the world to provide Covid-19 vaccines to its citizens and having an ample supply, the United States has been overtaken by quite a number of countries regarding vaccination rate, local media have said.

The Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao published a report on Monday which was initially carried by The New York Times, Xinhua news agency reported.

Only 57 percent of Americans have been fully vaccinated, according to data tracked by The New York Times, even though the country has more vaccine stocks than it needs.

Resistance to vaccination in the United States remains high, even among police and firefighters. As a result, the United States now lags behind dozens of countries in pursuing universal vaccination.

Public health experts blame a polarized political environment, misinformation on social media and confusion among government agencies for the lag, said the report.