Biden misses July 4 vaccine target as nation's 'independence' from virus remains elusive

With the delta variant spreading and vaccinations slowing, President Biden falls short of his goal to celebrate the nation's "independence" from the virus.

Two months after President Joe Biden pleaded with the nation to "bring it home" and stomp out the virus, the U.S. has officially fallen short of his goal to fully immunize 160 million Americans and to ensure 70% of adults get at least one shot by the Fourth of July. It was a benchmark the new president set to try to rally a country eager to move on from lockdowns and other restrictions by promising a celebration of the nation's "independence" from the virus. Instead, with the rise of the delta variant, cities like Los Angeles and St. Louis are now urging even vaccinated residents to resume mask-wearing. And health officials are warning of hospitals filling up again in states like Missouri and Utah where large swaths of the population remain unvaccinated. "I am not concerned there's going to be a major outbreak – in other words, that we’re going to have another epidemic nationwide," Biden told reporters on Friday. "But I am concerned lives will be lost."