"Moving Towards Annual COVID-19 Vaccinations: An Update from the Biden Administration"
Dr. Ashish Jha, leading the White House's Covid-19 Response Team, announced this week that COVID-19 vaccines are becoming a routine part of our lives. This shift comes as we strive to reduce severe illnesses, deaths, and protect Americans during fall and winter.
The Biden administration's hints at this shift started back in the spring, making Tuesday's announcement an expected but significant step forward. Dr. Jha confirmed that newly approved, updated booster vaccines will be free for eligible individuals, with future vaccines and treatments potentially transitioning towards commercial markets.
Experts argue that this move indicates that COVID-19 is not going away. Dr. Gregory Polish, Director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, says, "Our great-grandchildren will receive COVID-19 shots... just like you and I, when we receive our annual flu shot, one of the components we receive is the pandemic flu virus of 1918, against which we still vaccinate a century later."
Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, suggests this could be the ideal time to transition to annual refreshment vaccinations. "What vaccine will you get next year?" he tweeted. "What global monitoring mechanisms must be implemented to detect early variants?"
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, predicts annual vaccinations against COVID-19 to begin this fall, but individuals with weakened immune systems may require more frequent protection.
Dr. Fauci added that the newest booster will protect Americans as long as the Coronavirus continues to evolve and diverge from the currently circulating BA.4 and BA.5 variants. However, plans may need to be revised if the Coronavirus makes a significant evolutionary leap.
Tuesday's announcement also marks a change in communication strategy regarding COVID-19 prevention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), less than one-third of Americans aged 5 years and older have received a booster shot.
The White House and the CDC hope this move will encourage more individuals by addressing their uncertainty about when to receive their next shot. Medical experts believe that the move represents a clever rebranding and a fresh perspective.
During the press conference, Dr. Jha urged individuals aged 12 and older to utilize the updated refreshment vaccines and suggested receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot simultaneously. "I honestly believe that God has given us two arms, one for the flu shot and one for the COVID-19 vaccine," Jha joked.
The benefits of a timely COVID-19 vaccine are critical, says Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BA.5 and BA.4 are the most commonly spread COVID-19 variants, but hospital admissions have decreased by 14% over the past week. Unfortunately, more deaths than during the spring are now being reported.
Walensky stresses that this rate is unacceptably high, urging Americans to get the newest COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they’re eligible to protect themselves, their families, and their communities this fall and winter.
