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Biden Suggests He Will Mandate A New COVID Vaccine Booster This Fall

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While speaking with reporters in Lake Tahoe over the weekend, President Biden said that he had asked Congress for funding on a new and “necessary” COVID-19 vaccine booster. The president then suggested that the new booster will likely be “recommended” for all Americans, regardless of their previous vaccination status.

Biden was asked by a reporter on Friday if he had any comments on a reported uptick in COVID-19 cases and the emergence of a new variant. “Yes, I can,” Biden replied. “I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to Congress a request for additional funding for a new vaccine that is necessary, that works.”

“And tentatively, not decided, finally but tentatively, it is recommended that – it would likely be recommended that everybody get it,” the president continued. “Whether they got it before or not.”

According to a report from the Associated Press, the new vaccine is expected to contain a version of the Omicron variant called XBB.1.5. The new vaccine differs from previous rollouts, which blend the original COVID-19 strain with the recent Omicron variants that were prevalent in the preceding year.

While pharmaceutical companies are working on the new shot, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will need to sign off on each vaccine while the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) must issue recommendations for their use.

On August 11, the Biden Administration submitted a $40 billion funding request to Congress that did not mention COVID money, though it did request additional funds for Ukraine and federal disaster relief. The administration had previously requested $9.25 billion to combat the virus, though the request was denied by Congress.

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