Covid-19 vaccine booster doses approved for some US adults

President Biden, speaking from the White House about the Covid-19 pandemic and booster vaccines, said the US has made incredible progress in vaccinating millions of Americans — but 25% of eligible people have still failed to get a single dose of the vaccine.

He continued: "And to make matters worse, there are elected officials actively working to undermine with false information the fight against Covid-19. This is totally unacceptable."

Biden said that while "the vast majority of Americans are doing the right thing," one in four eligible Americans have still not gotten their first vaccine dose.

"In a country as large as ours, that 25% minority can cause an awful lot of damage. They are causing a lot of damage," he said, adding that unvaccinated people "overcrowd our hospitals" and put stress on the health care system.

While encouraging Americans 65 years old and over, those with underlying medical conditions and frontline workers who received Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine to get booster shots now, President Biden also said people who received Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines that they still have "a high degree of protection."

"Again, the bottom line is if you're fully vaccinated, you're highly protected from severe illness, even if you get Covid-19," he said.

Following CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky's recommendations, President Biden said Americans who received the Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19 between January and March should get their booster shots now if they are 65 or older or have a medical condition or are frontline workers.

"I'll be getting my booster shot. It's hard to acknowledge I'm over 65, but I'll be getting my booster shot," he said.

Booster shots will be available in 80,000 locations, including over 40,000 pharmacies nationwide, he added.

President Biden is speaking now following the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's booster decision.

Early Friday morning, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky diverged from the agency's independent vaccine advisers to recommend boosters for a broader group of people – those ages 18 to 64 who are at increased risk of Covid-19 because of their workplaces or institutional settings – in addition to older adults, long-term care facility residents and some people with underlying health conditions.

President Biden will address the booster decision, rollout and who is impacted, as well as the broader Covid-19 response, according to a White House official.

Biden will speak on Covid-19 at 9:45 a.m. from the State Dining Room at the White House, according to updated guidance. 

Following days of lengthy debate among vaccine experts, booster shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine can now be officially administered to some adults in the United States.

Early Friday morning, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky diverged from the agency's independent vaccine advisers to recommend boosters for a broader group of people — those ages 18 to 64 who are at increased risk of Covid-19 because of their workplaces or institutional settings — in addition to older adults, long-term care facility residents and some people with underlying health conditions.

The CDC recommendation includes the recommendations made by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Thursday, when it voted to recommend boosters for people age 65 and older and residents of long-term care facilities who received the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine series at least 6 months ago, and people ages 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions.

The CDC also endorsed the vaccine advisers' recommendation that people ages 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster based on their individual benefits and risks.