Biden to receive updated Covid-19 booster shot Tuesday

By Paul LeBlanc and Sarah Fortinsky, CNN

President Joe Biden will receive the updated Covid-19 booster shot Tuesday, White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz said Sunday evening.

It has been more than three months since Biden contracted Covid-19, which is the amount of time the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people may consider waiting before getting boosted.

The bivalent boosters target the original coronavirus strain as well as the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants. The shots are available for people ages five and up, as long as they have completed all primary doses in their vaccine series.

People who are boosted have more protection against Covid-19 illness and even infection compared to people who are past due for a booster shot — and significantly more protection than those who haven’t been vaccinated at all, past studies suggest.

Biden received his second booster shot on March 30.

News of the President’s latest booster shot, which was first reported by NBC News, comes as the Biden administration continues its push for an increase in shots as the winter months approach.

Uptake of the bivalent booster vaccine, authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration in late August, got off to a slow start but has accelerated in recent weeks. But as more Americans head indoors and the flu season begins, officials caution there is still much more work to do.

“The work we’re doing to reach Americans through on the ground work with trusted organizations in communities across the country and paid media is helping drive the urgency for all Americans to get the protection they need ahead of the winter,” White House Covid-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said in a statement this month.

He added, “But to be very clear: it’s going to take everyone talking to their family and friends to ensure the country is as protected as possible. Our message is simple: do not wait to get your updated vaccine.”

The Omicron subvariant BA. 5 still dominates cases in the United States, but a flurry of new Covid-19 variants appear to be gaining traction globally, raising fears of a winter surge.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky tested positive for the virus last week. Her diagnosis followed other officials who have tested positive and recovered, such as Biden’s chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci and US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in June, Biden in July, and first lady Jill Biden in August.

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CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed to this report.