White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha was asked about the low rates of Americans receiving booster vaccinations.
“Dr. Anthony Fauci at his last White House briefing before he retires [urged] Americans to get vaccinated as we head into the holiday season. As families gather, fierce of cases of Covid, flu and RSV could all rise at the same time,” ABC’s This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz said in a discussion with Jha. “You heard Dr. Fauci, the administration is launching a new campaign urging people to get those flu shots, get those Covid boosters, I think only about 11% have gotten the booster so far, maybe 42 million the flu shot. People aren’t listening. What do you do?”
“It’s incredibly important as we head into the holidays for people to update their immunity, get the new COVID vaccine, get the flu shot, it’s a great way to stay safe and healthy this holiday season,” Jha responded. “We know these vaccines first of all are incredibly effective, they’re very safe.”
OMICRON BOOSTERS OFFER ADDITIONAL PROTECTION AGAINST COVID-19 INFECTION: CDC
Jha also noted a UCLA study that showed a correlation between low COVID-19 vaccination rates and flu vaccination rates. Jha recommended that trusted voices speak out more to convince Americans to get vaccinated and boosted.
“I really believe if we do that and we continue pursuing that strategy, more and more Americans are going to get vaccinated,” Jha said.
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The Biden administration started a six-week campaign on Tuesday focused on getting booster shots into the arms of seniors and members of other communities hit hard by COVID-19. The campaign, launched in part by Jha, allocates additional funding for community health centers and community-based organizations.
