Officials encourage obtaining booster shots for a safer season
The White House issued a statement on Tuesday advising eligible Americans to get the updated COVID-19 boosters before Halloween in order to have the highest possible level of protection against the coronavirus by Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season. The statement also cautioned that the upcoming virus season will be “challenging.”
Dr. Ashish Jha, who serves as the coordinator of COVID-19 for the White House, stated that the United States possesses the resources, in the form of vaccines and treatments, to largely eliminate serious illnesses and deaths caused by the virus. However, he emphasized that this will only be the case if individuals do their part.
“We are not helpless against these challenges,” he said. “What happens this winter is up to us.”
Only about 11.5 million Americans have received the updated shots as of yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These shots are intended to provide an increase in protection against both the original strain of COVID-19 and the BA.5 variant, which is the predominant form of the virus around the world. Jha said that based on the findings of studies, “we could save hundreds of deaths per day this winter” if more people in the United States received the upgraded immunizations.
According to statistics from the CDC, more than 330 individuals pass away as a result of COVID-19 every single day, and the death toll in the United States now stands at over 1.05 million.
Jha admitted that the rate of vaccinations was slower than planned and said that “we thought September to be the month when it would suddenly start ramping up.” He went on to say that the White House anticipates a greater number of Americans receiving the updated booster injections this month at the same time as they get their regular flu vaccines. In addition to this, he underlined that they should look into getting them as soon as possible so that they may be safe when they come together with their friends and family.
“I think people should get vaccinated before Halloween,” he said.
Jha slammed Congress for turning down the White House’s proposal for a budget of $22 billion to combat the virus, claiming that this has prevented the United States from constructing a stockpile of tests that might be utilized in the event of a fresh winter spike.
The FDA authorized new COVID boosters targeting the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, and Dr. Uché Blackstock says you should expect annual booster shots.
“You can’t fight a deadly virus without resources,” he said, “and congressional inaction is really costly.”
