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Biden to receive Covid booster shot live on camera Monday

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden receives his second dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware, U.S., January 11, 2021.

Tom Brenner | Reuters

President Joe Biden will receive a Covid-19 booster shot Monday, in accordance with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The White House announced the last-minute addition to the president’s schedule late Monday morning, less than two hours ahead of the expected 1 p.m. ET event.

At 78 years old, Biden qualifies for the additional shot under new guidance issued late last week. Biden received his first Pfizer vaccine shot late last year, and his second shot in January.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Friday authorized the distribution of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 booster shots for those in high-risk occupational and institutional settings, a move that overruled an advisory panel.

Walensky also approved distributing booster shots to older Americans and adults with underlying medical conditions at least six months after their first series of shots, in line with the advisory panel.

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The World Health Organization opposes a widespread rollout of booster shots, saying wealthier nations should give extra doses to countries with minimal vaccination rates.

Roughly 60 million of the 100 million Americans who originally received the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine are now eligible for a third shot as the highly contagious delta variant continues to tear across the country, including health-care workers, teachers, grocery store employees and other essential workers.

The CDC’s final decision allows Biden to claim victory, even though he didn’t get everything he wanted. The administration said it planned to start giving booster shots to people 16 and older this month.

While the CDC panel’s recommendation doesn’t give the Biden administration everything it wanted, boosters will still be on the way for millions of Americans who originally received Pfizer’s shots.

Roughly 2.6 million Americans have received extra doses of a Covid vaccine since health officials authorized administering extra shots of Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines to people with weakened immune systems in August, according to data compiled by the CDC.

Some scientists, including at least two at the FDA, had said they weren’t entirely convinced every American who has received the Pfizer vaccine needed extra doses at this time.

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