President Joe Biden speaks on vaccine requirements, boosters and masks in schools

President Joe Biden addresses the nation, focusing on vaccine mandates, mask requirements in schools and the 'pandemic of the unvaccinated.' For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO:

The United States will begin widely distributing Covid-19 booster shots next month as new data shows that vaccine protection wanes over time, top U.S. health officials announced Wednesday.

It’s now “very clear” that immunity starts to fall after the initial two doses, and with the dominance of the delta variant, “we are starting to see evidence of reduced protection against mild and moderate disease,” according to the statement signed by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and other U.S. health leaders.

“Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout.”

As a result, U.S. agencies are preparing to offer booster shots to all eligible Americans beginning the week of Sept. 20, starting eight months after their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines, officials said. While they said recipients of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine will likely need boosters, they are awaiting more data in the next few weeks before making a formal recommendation.

“With those data in hand, we will keep the public informed with a timely plan for J&J booster shots as well,” the officials said.

The plan is subject to a formal recommendation from a CDC vaccine advisory committee and approval from the FDA, also a formality.

The announcement came ahead of a White House Covid press briefing Wednesday, where federal health officials further outlined their plan for boosters.

The booster shot “will boost your immune response,” President Joe Biden said later Wednesday in a speech at the White House. “It will increase your protection from Covid-19.”

Biden also addressed criticism from some health advocates who say the U.S. should focus on sending vaccine doses to countries facing shortages, rather than prioritizing booster shots for Americans.

“I disagree,” Biden said. “We can take care of America and help the world at he same time.”

The decision to recommend booster shots comes as the public becomes increasingly concerned about the delta variant and a rise in breakthrough cases — infections in fully vaccinated individuals. It marks a shift from previous comments made by U.S. health officials, who said in recent months that fully vaccinated Americans did not need booster shots at this time.

U.S. officials changed their message on boosters in recent days as cases continued to rise. Fauci said Thursday that everybody will “likely” need a booster shot at some point. On Friday, federal officials approved administering booster shots to Americans with weakened immune systems, which includes cancer and HIV patients and people who have had organ transplants.

National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins, who also signed the statement, said Tuesday that new Covid data, including from Israeli health officials, caused U.S. health leaders to rethink their position on vaccine boosters. Israel released new data Monday showing a reduction in the effectiveness of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine against severe illness among people 65 and older who were fully vaccinated in January or February.

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By: CNBC Television
Title: President Joe Biden speaks on vaccine requirements, boosters and masks in schools
Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHAWa-kG7aM

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