President Joe Biden will receive his second COVID-19 booster shot on Wednesday afternoon, a day after it was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for his age group.
The White House said Biden will receive the shot after delivering remarks about the fight against the pandemic. The dose will be administered by a member of the White House medical unit, the White House said.
The FDA on Tuesday authorized a second COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for those age 50 and older. The agency said anyone in this age group can get a second booster dose of mRNA vaccine four months or more after receiving the first booster shot.
Biden, 79, similarly received his first booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine on camera at the end of September after it was authorized.
The president is scheduled to deliver a speech about the pandemic from the White House Wednesday afternoon that will highlight a new “one-stop shop” website designed to help Americans access coronavirus vaccines, tests, treatments and masks.
The White House is currently grappling with its own COVID-19 cases. White House press secretary Jen Psaki and principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre have stayed away from the West Wing after testing positive for the virus. Both women are vaccinated and boosted and said to be experiencing mild symptoms.
The White House takes special precautions to protect Biden from the virus, including testing those who come in contact with him for COVID-19. Biden is also tested semi-regularly and tested negative earlier this week.
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield told reporters Tuesday that Biden would test more this week following his trip to Europe.
