5 states pose a barrier to Biden’s vaccine goals because they’ve so far vaccinated less than half of their population

• Five states have not given at least one COVID-19 vaccine to half their population, according to CDC data.
• This poses a challenge to President Joe Biden, who wants 70% of Americans partially vaccinated by July 4.
• Currently, more than 64% of Americans have received at least one dose and about 43% are fully vaccinated.

Five states — Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wyoming — have not yet administered at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines to half of their residents, according to CDC data, posing a roadblock to the Biden administration.

As The Associated Press first reported Saturday, the worst vaccination rate in the country is in Mississippi where just about 36% of the state population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Centre Daily Times reported Saturday that officials in Mississippi have in recent months turned away more than 870,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government due to waning demand from state residents. Unwanted doses have gone to other states and into a national pool, according to the report.