Dr. Anthony Fauci stated Tuesday at a White House press briefing on the coronavirus response that the COVID-19 vaccine is likely to become an annual shot that is updated annually like the flu vaccine.
Fauci, who serves as President Biden’s chief medical adviser and as the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, stated, “In the absence of a dramatically different variant, we are likely moving toward a vaccination cadence similar to that of the annual influenza vaccine, with annual updated COVID-19 shots matched to the currently circulating strains for most of the population.”
Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator, deemed this a “major milestone.”
“For the vast majority of Americans, a single annual COVID shot should provide a high level of protection against serious illness throughout the year,” Jha added. Nonetheless, he added, “For our highest-risk clients, such as my 80-year-old parents or a close friend who recently underwent a liver transplant, additional protection may be necessary.”
The administration has begun distributing the first upgraded COVID boosters, which protect against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants and the virus’s original strain.
“By the end of this week, more than ninety percent of Americans will live within five miles of these new and improved immunizations,” stated Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. This month, we will increase our education and outreach efforts in preparation for October, when we expect more people to receive their updated vaccinations, maybe in conjunction with their flu injections.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, believes the new booster mix will also provide protection against other strains, should a new variant emerge.
“One of the main reasons for this bivalent vaccine is not only that it maintains the excellent protection of the original strain and improves protection against the BA.5 variant, as suggested by laboratory data, but also that laboratory data suggests it will improve protection against other variants,” Walensky explained. Therefore, it provides us with the breadth of protection we could anticipate should another version emerge.
These new doses are free and available to all Americans over the age of 12, while younger children may continue to receive the vaccines previously approved for their age groups.
Officials have raised concern that vaccines and treatments for coronavirus may no longer be provided at no cost in the near future due to dwindling federal funding.
Jha stressed that Congress must support the continuing pandemic response in order for the United States to be ready in the event that a new “curveball” strain emerges.
“Congress is aware that we can easily regress if we do not continue to finance response,” he said. “We had intended to maintain a sufficient supply of PPE, or personal protective equipment. We will not have that stockpile if there is a subsequent rise. Should another Omicron-like disaster occur, our Strategic National Stockpile will be insufficient.”
Jha remarked, “Congress has not stepped up.”
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