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President Joe Biden was scheduled to get his updated COVID-19 booster shot Tuesday and urged the public to get theirs to ensure a healthy holiday season.
Biden was scheduled to appear at the White House with doctors leading the administration’s efforts against the spread of the coronavirus.
They would be joined by executives from several primary pharmacy chains, who are stepping up their efforts to get others to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine that has been reformulated to target omicron’s BA. 4 and BA. 5 subvariants, the dominant maximum. strains in the United States.
More than 20 million people, adding up to nearly 1 in five seniors, have already gained the updated COVID-19 booster, the White House said.
Biden is expected to again call on business, education and civic leaders to do more to inspire their communities to get the updated vaccines, which are free.
Three respiratory viruses are circulating lately in the United States: influenza, COVID-19 and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, said Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 response leader.
Jha has said several morning appearances on TV shows that the combination of a flu shot and an updated COVID booster will now help others avoid serious illness and stay out of the hospital as they prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving and other holidays with friends and family.
RSV affects children, but there is no vaccine to treat it, corporations are racing to expand one, he said.
“So if other people went out and got vaccinated, we might be able to get through without having a lot of problems,” Jha said Tuesday on CBS Mornings.
“If you rely on your previous vaccine from nine months ago or an infection from a year ago, that’s probably not enough and that’s one of the reasons we urge all Americans, but especially older Americans, especially seniors — to get the new updated COVID vaccine, because I think it will make a big difference,” Jha said on NBC’s “Today. “
Biden had to wait a few months to update his COVID reminder because he became infected and then reinfected with COVID-19 over the summer.
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