Biden to receive 2nd booster as admin launches COVID.GOV
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to receive a second booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, the White House announced, a day after federal regulators approved a fourth shot for those aged 50 and older.
Biden would receive the shot after his administration rolls out covid.gov, what it says is a one-stop website that will help people in the United States access COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatments, along with status updates on infection rates where they live.
“Now, with a click of a button, people will be able to find where to access all of these tools,” the White House said. People will also be able to find the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on COVID-19 in their community.
The additional booster is meant to beef up the body’s protection against COVID-19 in populations most vulnerable to the coronavirus, which has killed more than 975,000 people in the U.S.
Biden, 79, received the first series of two doses of the coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office and a first booster shot in September. The additional booster dose will be administered by a member of the White House Medical Unit.
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared the way for another shot for anyone 50 and older, who can get the additional booster at least four months after their last vaccination. Severely immune-compromised patients, such as organ transplant recipients, as young as 12, are also eligible.
The highly transmissible omicron variant is the dominant strain in the U.S., but scientists say it poses a lower risk for severe illness to those who are up to date on their vaccinations, including boosters.
The unvaccinated, though, are at a far greater risk.
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AP writer Darlene Superville contributed.