Topline
President Joe Biden received a second booster shot against Covid-19 on camera on Wednesday, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its recommendation for Americans 50 and older to receive a second booster.
President Joe Biden receives a second booster shot against Covid-19 in Washington, D.C., on March … [+]
Key Facts
Before receiving his second booster, Biden gave a speech on the pandemic, noting that the White House has launched covid.gov, a one-stop website that assists Americans with access to Covid tests, vaccines, treatments and information about Covid in their area.
Biden also called on Congress to pass emergency Covid funding worth $22.5 billion for Covid tests, vaccines, treatments and research, but the request faces opposition from Senate Republicans.
Biden, 79, has received two vaccine doses followed by a Pfizer-BioNTech booster in September.
Biden’s second booster shot came as some people in close contact with him, including White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, have recently tested positive for Covid.
The highly transmissible BA.2 Omicron variant accounted for nearly 55 percent of Covid cases last week, up from 39 percent in the previous week, according to CDC data updated on Tuesday.
Key Background
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized Moderna’s and Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine second booster doses for people 50 and older after it learned that protection from a third dose falls after three to six months. A second booster should be administered at least four months after the first. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said earlier in the month that a third dose is “good” for hospitalizations and deaths but “not that good” for preventing infections. Experts have said that the United States is unlikely to experience a major surge in Covid cases, and that the BA.2 Omicron variant is less likely to cause severe disease than other Omicron variants.
Big Number
67.2%. That’s the ratio of Americans 65 and older, or 32.8 million, who have been boosted as of Wednesday, according to the CDC. That age group has the greatest ratio of Americans who have received their third doses.
Further Reading
Biden to receive 2nd booster as admin launches COVID.GOV (Associated Press)
FDA Authorizes Second Covid Booster For Americans 50 And Older (Forbes)
BA.2 Omicron Variant Becomes Dominant In U.S., CDC Says (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisakim/2022/03/30/biden-receives-second-booster-shot-and-calls-on-congress-to-pass-emergency-covid-funding/