Washington — President Biden will receive his second COVID-19 booster shot on camera Wednesday, one day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized a new round of Moderna and Pfizer vaccine doses for Americans over 50.
Mr. Biden will get the shot after providing an update on the state of the pandemic and announcing the rollout of COVID.gov, a new website meant to help Americans access information on vaccines and treatments. The president described the website as a “one-stop-shop” for Americans’ COVID-19 related needs.
Mr. Biden is one of the 34 million Americans now eligible to receive a second booster shot. The president will also highlight the administration’s “test-to-treat” initiative that he announced in his State of the Union address, which has expanded to more than 2,000 sites nationwide. The program’s goal is to get Americans tested and, if they are positive and need treatment, help them get a prescription filled in the same location.
“In his remarks, the president will outline that because of our work to pull every lever of government in our fight against COVID, we have the infrastructure, the tools, and the systems in place that are allowing the American people can move forward safely,” the official said.
The president will also again urge Congress to pass new COVID-19 funding for vaccines and treatments, the White House official said. The administration has been warning lawmakers that the U.S. won’t have enough vaccines for a fourth shot for all Americans, or enough funding for antibody treatments. The administration has asked Congress for $30 billion. The progress the U.S. has made will be at risk without more money, the official said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 975,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Hospitalizations and deaths have been on a downward trend of the last month. Nearly 70% of Americans 5 years and older are fully vaccinated, and 89% of Americans 65 and older are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. But the majority of U.S. adults still haven’t received a booster shot.
Alex Tin contributed to this report.
