The Biden administration on Thursday released more details about its plan to make the newly approved shots — the first of the annual shots it says Americans must take — readily available and free to the public. The White House is also again calling on Congress to provide additional funding for the nation’s response to the health crisis. President Joe Biden, who canceled his scheduled remarks on updated vaccines after news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, previously said the shootings represented a “new phase” in the government’s response to the virus. “As the virus continues to change, we will now be able to update our vaccines annually to target the predominant variant,” he said in a statement earlier this week. “Just like your annual flu shot, you should get it sometime between Labor Day and Halloween. It’s safe, it’s easy to get, and it’s free.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on the downloads, one from Moderna and one from Pfizer-BioNtech, earlier this month after the Food and Drug Administration approved them for emergency use. The current subvariants of omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, account for the majority of new virus cases in the US. previous vaccinations. The CDC recommends that people age 12 and older get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and people age 18 and older get the vaccine offered by Moderna. The vaccines are approved for use at least two months after a person’s initial vaccine series or their most recent booster. “For most Americans who are fully vaccinated, our nation’s health experts recommend that you get the updated COVID vaccine once a year,” White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre told reporters. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House, Sept. 8, 2022. Jean-Pierre said President Biden’s thoughts are with Queen Elizabeth and the family. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images The administration has secured more than 170 million doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines and plans to ship them to tens of thousands of pharmacies, health centers and other convenient locations across the country. According to the White House, after this first round of installments is delivered, more than 90% of Americans will have a free-shot location within five miles of where they live. To encourage those at highest risk of serious illness or disease, such as the elderly or immunocompromised, to get the new vaccines, the administration will directly contact the 16 million people who have signed up for Medicare emails to share information about newer COVID vaccines. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will also provide resources to nursing homes and long-term care facilities to ensure residents and staff can get the new shots. The White House said Thursday it would also continue to increase testing capacity and access to treatments, but Jean-Pierre said the administration is “limited” in what it can do because of limited funding. A nurse fills syringes with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines for residents who are over 50 and immunocompromised and eligible to receive their second booster shots in Waterford, Mich., April 8, 2022. Emily Elconin/Reuters, FILE The administration is seeking $22.4 billion from Congress that they say is necessary to fight COVID. This funding will go towards “next generation” research, providing treatments and boosting vaccine supply. The request is likely to face an uphill battle on Capitol Hill, where Republicans are generally opposed to any additional emergency funding. The White House has said it will be able to sustain its COVID response through the fall, but will be forced to move the procurement and distribution of vaccines, treatments and more to the commercial market if lawmakers do not provide more funding. “The timing of this transition should be dictated by the state of the pandemic and the need to ensure a smooth transition, not by a lack of funding,” the White House said.
