In a tweet, the federal government's top health official said his comments from earlier in the day had been "taken wildly out of context."
"To be clear: government has no database tracking who is vaccinated," he wrote. "We're encouraging people to step up to protect themselves, others by getting vaccinated. It's the best way to save lives and end this pandemic."
Becerra's initial remarks on Thursday morning came in response to Republican criticism that President Joe Biden has received this week for his administration's latest push to persuade vaccine-hesitant Americans to get their shots.
In a speech at the White House on Tuesday, Biden gave an update on the state of the U.S. vaccination program and ongoing efforts to reach parts of the country where skepticism of the vaccine still runs high.
Comment: See also: