WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (CNA) - President Joe Biden on Monday (Jan 25) said the United States should be closing in on COVID-19 herd immunity by summer, with mass vaccinations becoming available in the spring.

"I feel confident that by summer we're going to be well on our way to heading toward herd immunity," he told a White House news conference.

Biden said that this milestone could be reached once vaccinations - currently being issued at a trickle across the country of 328 million - become available to the wider public. He predicted this could happen within a few months.

"I think we'll be able to do that this spring, but it's going to be a logistical challenge that exceeds anything we've ever tried in this country," Biden said.

The president, who took office last Wednesday, repeated that his first goal is getting 100 million vaccinations administered in his first 100 days in office.

After this, the country will "move in the direction where we are well beyond that in the next 100 days, so we can get to the point where we reach herd immunity."

"I feel good about where we're going and I think we can get it done," Biden said.