- President Joe Biden received a Covid-19 booster shot Monday, in accordance with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- At 78 years old, Biden qualified for the additional shot under new guidance issued last Friday. Biden received his first vaccine shot late last year.
- The World Health Organization opposes a widespread rollout of booster shots, saying wealthier nations should give extra doses to countries with minimal vaccination rates.
President Joe Biden received a Covid-19 booster shot Monday, in accordance with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At 78 years old, Biden qualified for the additional shot under new guidance issued late last week. Biden received his first Pfizer vaccine shot late last year, and his second shot in January.
“Boosters are important, but the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated,” Biden said prior to receiving his injection.
“The vast majority of Americans are doing the right thing. Over 77% of adults have gotten at least one shot,” he said. “About 23% haven’t gotten any shots. And that distinct minority is causing an awful lot of damage for the rest of country. This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. That’s why I’m moving forward with vaccination requirements wherever I can.”
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Friday authorized the distribution of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 booster shots for those in high-risk occupational and institutional settings, a move that overruled an advisory panel.
Walensky also approved distributing booster shots to older Americans and adults with underlying medical conditions at least six months after their first series of shots, in line with the advisory panel.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 79, announced Monday afternoon that he had also received a booster shot, and urged eligible Americans to join him in getting the shot.
The Kentucky Republican’s statement on the Senate floor was noteworthy given the partisan divide that runs through the U.S. vaccination rate. An August NBC News poll found that 88% of Democrats reported having been vaccinated, versus only 55% of Republicans.
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