Biden seeks additional funding for new COVID vaccine, urges universal adoption.
President Biden Calls for Additional Funding for New COVID Vaccine
President Joe Biden announced on Friday that he will be seeking additional funding from Congress to support the development of a new COVID vaccine. Speaking to reporters during his vacation in Lake Tahoe, California, the president emphasized the importance of this new vaccine.
“I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to the Congress a request for additional funding for a new vaccine that is necessary, that works,” Biden said, according to the Associated Press. He also mentioned that it is likely to be recommended for everyone, regardless of their previous vaccination status.
Both Pfizer and Moderna are currently working on new vaccines to combat the latest omicron variant. As COVID cases continue to rise across the country, scientists are urging for swift action. In July, there were over 9,000 hospitalizations due to COVID, but this number pales in comparison to the peak of the pandemic and subsequent surges caused by the delta and omicron variants. In fact, during the omicron surge in January 2022, an estimated 150,000 people were hospitalized.
The recent increase in COVID cases has prompted some businesses and universities to reinstate mask mandates. For instance, Morris Brown College in Atlanta has reintroduced a mask mandate, despite not having any reported cases of COVID on campus. Similarly, Lionsgate film studio in California is implementing mask mandates for certain offices in Santa Monica. Lionsgate has also established a “building entry policy” that requires employees to perform daily self-screenings and report any new or worsening symptoms or recent international travel.
The Biden administration is hopeful that updated COVID vaccines will be available by the end of September. However, these updated shots from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax still need to be approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC.
According to a Biden administration official, “Vaccination is going to continue to be key this year because immunity wanes and because the COVID-19 virus continues to change. For those reasons, vaccines remain the best protection against hospitalization and death.”
White House Priorities and Funding Allocation
The White House recently requested $40 billion from Congress, but this funding did not include additional support for COVID vaccines. Instead, the Biden administration asked for $24 billion to aid Ukraine, $12 billion to replenish disaster relief funds, and $4 billion for addressing issues at the southern border, such as housing for illegal immigrants, as reported by POLITICO.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Auto Amazon Links: Could not resolve the given unit type, . Please be sure to update the auto-insert definition if you have deleted the unit.