US President Joe Biden in his July 4 speech, urged Americans to get vaccinated, suggesting they will fulfill their patriotic duty by doing so and safeguard “the hard-worn progress” in the fight against the pandemic.
- In his July 4 speech Biden spoke from the south lawn of the White House, “My fellow Americans, that is the most patriotic thing you can do, so, please, if you haven’t got vaccinated, do it now: for yourself, for your family, for your community and for your country.”
- Biden credited his administration for getting the US economy back on track, claiming that it was “roaring back” from the days when most of the country was plunged into lockdowns and Americans had their freedom of movement severely restricted by stay-at-home orders.
- “We’re seeing record job creation and record economic growth, the best in four decades and, I might add, the best in the world,” Biden added, addressing a 1,000-strong crowd gathered at the lawn.
- Biden argued that persuading as many Americans as possible to get the jab is the only way to combat the Delta variant of the virus, which is considered to be multiple times more infectious than previous mutations, and to “protect the hard-won progress we’ve made.”
- While Biden’s speech mostly focused on the role vaccination plays in the return to normal life, the president also appealed to his political opponents, arguing that a united front is needed to “beat the virus” and “rescue” the nation from “division and despair.”
Meanwhile, 69% of Americans overall said they believe they’re at low or no risk of contracting Covid-19, the confidence rate was lower among those who have already been inoculated. Just 22% of unvaccinated Americans think they’re at risk of getting sick from the virus, compared with 32% of vaccinated respondents.
