The Bidens to get Covid booster shots next month

Covid-19 booster shot is to ‘stay ahead’ of virus, says US surgeon general

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will get Covid-19 booster shots as soon as they can, according to an interview with ABC News.

The presidential couple were given their second dose of the vaccine in January and therefore will be able to get their booster in September, Mr Biden told the network on Wednesday.

"We’re gonna get the booster shots," Mr Biden said in the televised interview. "We got our shots all the way back in I think, December. So … it’s past time."

This announcement comes after the federal government said that people will be able to get their third shot against the coronavirus from 20 September.

According to the plan, a third shot will be available eight months after one’s last dose of either Pfizer-BionTech or Moderna. No plans have been outlined regarding a booster for the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Health officials had previously assured the public that boosters were not yet required, but could eventually be necessary. The plans to go ahead with boosters is part an effort to “stay ahead” of Covid, according to Dr Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general.

He said that vaccines are proving effective at preventing severe Covid-19 infections, hospitalisations and death but that they were worried about their effectiveness against mild infection.

The move for third doses was met with criticism from the World Health Organisation and other bodies. They believe that the US should not administer third doses before other global populations receive at least one dose. The WHO believes that each nation state should have 10 per cent of their population’s vaccinated before third shots are given.

Mr Biden addressed the criticism in his interview with ABC.

"We’re providing more [Covid vaccine shots] to the rest of the world than all the rest of the world combined," Mr Biden said.

“We’re gonna provide a half a billion shots to the rest of the world. We’re keeping our part of the bargain. We’re doing more than anybody," he said.

Israel was the first country to give out booster shots. They started giving the shots to individuals over the age of 60 who got their last jab more than five months ago. Other countries, such as the UK, are due to follow suit.