The Biden administration plans to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots to all American adults starting Sept. 20, citing growing evidence that a third dose of the vaccine is likely needed to protect against the virus and the Delta variant.
“It will make you safer, and for longer, and it will help us end the pandemic faster,” Biden said on Wednesday. “This is no time to let our guard down. We just need to finish the job with science, with facts, and with confidence.”
The booster shots will be made available starting the week of Sept. 20 to adults who received doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. People will be eligible to receive the boosters eight months after their second dose, administration officials said. Administration officials said they also anticipate offering booster shots to people who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine but are awaiting further data before making that announcement. Boosters will not be rolled out until they are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, which is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of a booster shot, officials said.
Biden said health care workers and nursing home residents will be first in line for the booster shots, but he also urged private sector businesses to require vaccinations for their employees.
“It’s time for employers to stand up,” Biden said. “Do the right thing for your employees.”
This article was provided to OSAP by ASAE's Power of A and Inroads.