U.S. COVID-19 vaccination paces up to 2.2 million shots per day

WASHINGTON, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States is reporting an average of 2.2 million shots of COVID-19 vaccine per day over the past week, the latest federal data showed, up slightly from the most recent low reported on Saturday, when it dipped below 2 million for the first time since early March.

While it is too early to say whether this recent uptick will turn into a steady trend, Tuesday's data, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), showed an increase in reported first doses, indicating that "new people are entering a vaccination program," reported CNBC on Wednesday.

Tuesday's reported totals also included 150,000 Johnson & Johnson 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 mid-April.

More than 46 percent of the U.S. population has received one or more shots and 35 percent 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 kids as young as 12, agreeing that the benefits of vaccinating children and teens outweigh any risks from the vaccine.

Average daily U.S. COVID-19 cases fell further on Tuesday, with the seven-day average at about 38,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. New case counts are below 40,000 per day this week for the first time since September.

The latest seven-day average of daily U.S. coronavirus deaths is 608, the data showed. More than 582,000 deaths have been reported in the United States, more than in any other country.