Stop Playing and Give Us Our Damn Booster Shots
It’s the federal government’s fault for the growing confusion over the booster shots we will obviously need
This was the week Americans were set to start receiving booster shots in an effort to prevent more of us from succumbing to the ongoing plague. Unfortunately, while I for damn sure know that I will be getting the extra protection I need against Covid-19 before this year wraps, exactly when the move will be formally recommended by the federal government is becoming an ever-increasing mystery. I’m not saying the growing confusion is solely President Biden’s fault, but members of his administration are stoking confusion with conflicting messaging about booster shots.
Maybe it’s time Biden corralled them towards a united message that allows me free reign to prevent being caught up with Covid in spite of being fully vaccinated.
Last month, Biden announced that the administration planned to make Covid-19 vaccine booster shots available to all Americans starting on September 20. “This will boost your immune response,” Biden said from the White House. “It’s the best way to protect ourselves from new variants that could arise.” Biden had urged anyone 18 or older who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to seek a booster shot eight months after their second dose, although that recommendation was later shifted to six months.
According to reporting from the New York Times, the plan was to mirror the experience of how we originally received the vaccine with the first boosters going to nursing home residents, health care workers, and emergency workers — all the first to be vaccinated last winter. After that would come other older people and the general population. As a result of this reporting, I had already started to harass my mama and others about the booster (she is down).
The White House decision was made in response to the delta variant of the coronavirus stoking infection rates — particularly throughout many states in the South and Northwest, where unvaccinated Americans have overwhelmingly represented the number of patients hospitalized and killed by that virus’ evolved state. According to the CDC, Covid’s delta variant now makes up 99% of new cases. On Sunday, the seven-day…
