Since the arrival of a new variant that holds potential dangers to public health, the Biden administration has devised a new plan on how to tackle COVID and other deadly viruses.
President Biden’s administration is taking bold action, preparing a new program to encourage Americans to get COVID-19 booster shots.
Alarming Surge in COVID Cases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an alarming report about the surge in COVID-19 infections across the U.S., though they remain below pandemic levels. With the CDC’s findings in mind, the Biden administration plans to urge Americans to get booster shots in the coming months.
We’ll be taking a look at the strategy to protect public health which includes not just the COVID booster, but also flu and RSV shots.
Recent Variant Has a High Mutation Count
The booster program announcement coincides with the CDC and WHO tracking a new variant, named BA.2.86, due to its high mutation count.
WHO’s designation of BA.2.86 as a “variant under monitoring” highlights their commitment to staying ahead of virus changes.
Unanswered Questions Regarding Booster Program
The White House has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the new variant and the booster program.
CDC spokesperson Kathleen Conley assured that the scientific community is vigilant and well-prepared to respond, “Scientists are working now to understand more about the newly identified lineage in these four cases, and we will share more information as it becomes available.”
Variants like BA.2.86 are among many monitored in the post-pandemic landscape, meaning there is still a very real fight against COVID-19.
The booster campaign comes nearly a year after President Biden declared the pandemic’s end in September 2022, though he added, “We’re still doing a lot of work on it.” Vaccine manufacturers like Moderna are actively adapting their shots to address new subvariants.
Vaccine Manufacturers Are Updating Vaccines
Moderna, Pfizer, Novavax, and BioNTech SE have developed updated vaccines to tackle emerging subvariants such as XBB.1.5.
Once the vaccines are approved for use in the US, the updated shots are anticipated to be accessible within weeks, aligning with the autumn vaccination season.
Government Pushing Flu and RSV Shots
The booster push extends beyond COVID-19, as the official emphasizes the importance of flu shots and RSV shots in safeguarding public health, “We will be encouraging all Americans to get those boosters in addition to flu shots and RSV shots.”
As the Biden administration readies for its booster campaign, Americans are called to embrace this approach to protect themselves and their communities.
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