Biden has indicated that his goal for rolling out the coronavirus vaccine was an easy-to-remember 1 million shots a day, or 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days. On Monday, he suggested a much faster clip, saying he could envision 1.5 million vaccinations per day.

A million a day is still his minimum goal, Biden said, but “I hope we’ll be able to increase as we go along so we’ll get to 1.5 million. That’s my hope.”
The recalibration reflects the reality that the country is already close to the million-a-day pace, using procedures put in place by the Trump administration. Over the past few days, Biden’s nascent administration has faced criticism for setting an artificially low goal — though when it first pledged, circumstances were different and it seemed potentially hard to meet.

Overall, Biden on Monday projected a relatively optimistic timeline, even while acknowledging the death toll from covid-19 could eventually reach 600,000 or even 660,000. By spring, he said, everyone who wants a vaccine should be able to get one. Now, Biden’s aides believe his ability to deliver on the promise of containing the pandemic will be critical to his success and the only way to revive the struggling economy. Since taking office last week, Biden has sought to find a balance between promising that the virus can be vanquished and warning that dark days still lie ahead.