CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Centers for Disease Corol reports more than 1 million children under the age of 12 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Progress is being made, but officials say the war against COVID-19 isn't over.
It's been just more than two weeks since the FDA authorized the coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years old.
The latest numbers show 195 million Americans have been fully vaccinated. It's 59 percent of the U.S. population.
This comes as Triple A predicts nearly 53 and a half million Americans will leave home to see family and friends for Thanksgiving.
That's a 13-percent rise from last year and some health experts say these gatherings could lead to another spike.
"If you have to travel, make sure that you're wearing a mask, a properly fitting surgical mask or a KN-95 are the best options, especially when you're in close spaces around people whose vaccination status you're not aware of," said Dr. Richina Bicette-McCain, associate medical director of the Baylor College of Medicine.
Average new coronavirus cases are up in 19 states over the past week, compared to the week before, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
And according to health and human services data, hospitalizations are up in 11 states.
The ongoing pandemic is also going to hit some Americans in the wallet.
On Friday night, the federal government announced a significant hike in Medicare premiums, which officials partially blame on the pandemic.