From White House.gov:
“President Biden Announces New
Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We
Battle COVID-19
this Winter”
New Actions Aim to Get Americans
Boosted for Even Greater Protection Against the Delta and Omicron Variants,
Keep Schools and Businesses Open, and Help Quickly Respond to Surges if Needed
During the Colder Months Today, President Biden will announce new actions to
combat COVID-19 as the United States heads into the winter months and with the
emergence of a new variant, Omicron. The United States has come far in its
fight against the virus and is more prepared than ever to deal with the
challenges of COVID-19. We have the public health tools we need to continue to
fight this virus without shutting down our schools and businesses. As we head
into winter, today, the President will announce actions to provide additional
protection to Americans and fight the Omicron and Delta variants, while keeping
our economy growing.
This plan includes:
Boosters for All Adults
Vaccinations to Protect Our Kids
and Keep Our Schools Open
Expanding Free At-Home Testing
for Americans
Stronger Public Health Protocols
for Safe International Travel
Protections in Workplaces to Keep
Our Economy Open
Rapid Response Teams to Help
Battle Rising Cases
Supplying Treatment Pills to Help
Prevent Hospitalizations and Death
Continued Commitment to Global
Vaccination Efforts
Steps to Ensure We Are Prepared
for All Scenarios
Last week, after the World Health
Organization (WHO) named the Omicron variant as a Variant of Concern, the
President took immediate steps to restrict travel from the most impacted
countries in order to give the U.S. time to learn more about the variant and
prepare. We have more tools today to fight the Omicron variant than we have had
to fight previous variants, including Delta. Nearly 60 percent of Americans are
fully vaccinated, booster shots are authorized for all adults, and a vaccine is
authorized for kids aged 5 and older. The U.S. is leading the world in
vaccinating children, and millions of Americans have already gotten their
boosters. And, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing additional
antiviral treatments for when people do get sick. Today’s actions will ensure
we are using these tools as effectively as possible to protect the American
people against this variant and to continue to battle the Delta variant during
the winter months when viruses tend to thrive. These actions will help keep our
economy growing and keep Americans safe from severe COVID-19.
Today, President Biden will
announce the following actions:
Boosters for All Adults:
President Biden will announce new steps to ensure that the nearly 100 million
eligible Americans who have not yet gotten their booster shot, get one as soon
as possible. As we face the Omicron variant, boosters are more important than
ever. Boosters increase the strength of your antibody response, so when the
virus mutates, a booster makes it more likely that your antibodies can protect
you against the new variant. This week, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) issued updated guidance recommending that every adult get a
booster. All adults who completed a primary vaccination series with an mRNA
vaccine at least six months ago and those who received a Johnson & Johnson
shot at least two months ago are eligible for a booster. The Biden
Administration has made booster shots free and convenient at over 80,000
locations nationwide. To date, over 41 million Americans have already received
a booster shot, including half of eligible seniors. The President will announce
additional steps to help in this effort.
Expanding pharmacy
availability through December and reaching out to all eligible customers to get
their booster: As demand for boosters increases, the largest federal
pharmacy partners will be ready to help meet that demand. Pharmacy partners are
launching broad-based outreach campaigns to encourage the public to get their
boosters, and are sending millions of texts, calls, and emails to eligible
customers with information on how to schedule an appointment or walk-in for
their booster shot. In addition, pharmacy partners will continue to offer call
center services to support members of the public who need assistance, including
in multiple languages. The President will also announce that the pharmacy
program will continue to take steps to expand availability, so that adults can
continue to receive their booster shots at trusted, convenient pharmacies near
them. Nationwide, more than two in three COVID-19 vaccinations are already
happening at local pharmacies. Federal pharmacy partners will continue to
expand access by adding capacity across their network to meet the needs of
their local communities. They will also work to ensure equitable access to
boosters by offering vaccinations at convenient hours, including evenings and
over weekends, so that adults can get boosted at a time that works best for
them.
Launching a new public
education campaign to encourage adults to get boosters, with a special focus on
seniors: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will launch a
new public education campaign to ensure every adult American is getting their
booster as soon as they are eligible. This effort will put a special focus on
seniors who are the most vulnerable, including seniors from communities of
color and seniors from underserved communities. The campaign will feature paid
advertising across multiple channels, engagement with community organizations,
robust stakeholder outreach, and earned media campaigns.
Collaborating with AARP on an
education campaign focused on getting seniors boosted: AARP has been engaged in
a robust education effort around COVID-19 and primary vaccinations throughout
the pandemic. As we shift toward getting more seniors boosted, AARP will build
on these efforts, and in collaboration with the Administration, will serve
seniors through: Town Halls: The Administration will participate in
AARP-sponsored tele-town halls to reach thousands of seniors over the coming
months and educate older Americans about the importance of boosters. Rides
to Booster Shots: AARP has committed to delivering rides through volunteers
and partnerships with other organizations to help seniors get boosted at local
pharmacies, clinics, events, churches, or other trusted locations. Events
and Call Center: AARP and the Administration will participate in local
events and media opportunities across the country in the weeks ahead. In
addition, the Administration has provided new training to help CDC’s National
COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance hotline answer AARP members’ and all seniors’
questions about boosters or find an appointment at 1-800-232-0233. Targeting
outreach to Medicare beneficiaries: As part of a comprehensive plan to get
older adults the extra protection they need through a booster, the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is launching an education and outreach
initiative to get Medicare beneficiaries boosted. This will include sending a
notice from the CMS Administrator to all Medicare beneficiaries encouraging
them to get boosted and providing information about how to easily access a
booster shot in their community. Approximately 63 million people are enrolled
in Medicare, and this is the first time in more than 4 years that Medicare has
sent all Medicare beneficiaries a notice of this kind. CMS will also send
emails, add messages to the 1-800-MEDICARE call center and incorporate
messaging into advertising campaigns highly targeted to high-risk audiences
with lower booster uptake.
Calling on employers to follow
the federal government’s lead and provide paid time off to their employees to
get boosted: All federal employees currently receive paid time off to get
booster shots. The President will call on employers throughout the country to
remove a barrier to vaccination access by providing the same paid time off for
their employees if they are not doing so already, including paid time off for
family members getting their first, second, or booster shots. No one should
have to choose between their pay check and getting the additional protection of
a booster shot or a child vaccination. Currently, about one-third of workers
report not receiving paid time off for vaccinations, and thirty-five percent of
parents report being concerned about having to take time off work to get their
child vaccinated or care for them if they experience side effects. Over the
course of our pandemic response, these concerns have been even more pressing in
our underserved communities; earlier this year, 64 percent of unvaccinated
Hispanic/Latino adults and 55 percent of unvaccinated Black adults reported
concern about missing work to get vaccinated.
Vaccinations to Protect Our
Kids and Keep Our Schools Open: The President will announce new actions to
get more kids ages 5 and older vaccinated and to keep our schools open. When
the President came into office, more than half the schools in our country were
closed. Today, 99 percent of schools across the country are fully open and in
person. The steps the President is announcing today will ensure that remains
the case. As we face the Omicron variant, we now have an important new tool:
vaccines for kids ages 5-11. The U.S. leads the world in vaccinating children
in this age group. To date, we have already vaccinated over 4 million 5- to
11-year-olds and 15 million adolescents. Vaccinating our kids protects them,
keeps schools open, and protects everyone around them. The Biden Administration
has made it easy for parents to get their kids vaccinated with over 35,000
sites that parents know and trust, including pharmacies, pediatricians’
offices, children’s hospitals and school-based clinics. The President will
announce new actions to get kids vaccinated and ensure that schools stay open.
Launching hundreds of family
vaccination clinics to get the whole family vaccinated or boosted in one
trusted and convenient location: The President will announce a new effort
to launch hundreds of family vaccination clinics across the country. Together,
these clinics will offer vaccinations for the whole family – with first shots
for parents, teens, and kids, and boosters for those eligible. This model
builds on the Administration’s ongoing efforts – in coordination with states,
localities, providers and community leaders – to meet people where they are and
make vaccinations accessible and convenient in communities across the country.
HRSA will launch Family Vaccination Days – with hundreds of community health
centers across the country hosting family vaccination clinics throughout
December. Over two in three shots at community health centers are administered
to people of color. FEMA will launch Family Mobile Vaccination Clinics,
deploying sites, staff, and support to states across the country that need help
– beginning with its first deployments to Washington and New Mexico. States and
localities will pioneer this model nationwide – with full federal funding and
support, and receive a new playbook to provide all partners with the
information they need to stand up these sites and increase equitable access to
vaccination. And, at thousands of pharmacies nationwide, federal pharmacy
partners – including CVS and Rite Aid – will make available family-based
scheduling over the coming months so that parents have a one-stop-shop to get
their family their vaccination appointments all at once.
Requiring Medicaid to pay
health care providers to talk to families about getting their kids vaccinated:
Increasing COVID-19 vaccinations and centering equity in COVID-19 vaccinations
requires meeting our hardest-hit and highest-risk communities where they are
with information from trusted sources. To help parents get their questions
answered and make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccination for their
children, all Medicaid programs will pay health care providers to talk to
parents about the importance of kids’ vaccination. Medicaid will cover COVID-19
vaccine counseling visits for most children and youth up to age 21 with 100%
federal funding throughout the public health emergency and the following year. Medicaid
and the Children’s Health Insurance Program provide health insurance coverage
to over 40 percent of all children in the United States and are a significant
source of coverage for Black and brown children. Today’s action will help
expand access to individualized medical advice in all of our communities and
give families the support they need to engage with trusted community providers.
Reviewing school COVID-19
prevention policies to avoid closures of entire classrooms or schools when
there is a positive case: Thanks to efforts from the Biden Administration,
99 percent of schools are now open for full-time in-person learning – up from
46 percent at the beginning of the Administration. This progress has been
crucial to making sure all students can safely be back where they belong –
learning alongside their peers – and to help them accelerate through any
learning loss they may have experienced in the last year and a half. Schools
can stay open safely by implementing layered prevention strategies, and with
the tools, guidance, and resources the Administration has provided, schools
should not have to close due to COVID-19. To make sure schools can remain
safely open:
CDC will release findings on
quarantine and testing policies in schools: Today, close contacts who are
not fully vaccinated should be referred for COVID-19 testing and quarantine at
home for up to 14 days after exposure. While it is crucial to take proper measures
to contain spread of the virus following COVID-19 exposure, this period of
quarantine can significantly interrupt student’s learning, and make it
challenging for parents to work. States and districts around the country have
been pioneering alternative approaches to quarantine, including “test to stay”
policies – where exposed students remain in school, wear masks, and test
repeatedly in the days following exposure to identify and contain infection.
CDC has been studying approaches to quarantine and testing, including looking
at the science and data of how they may keep school communities safe. CDC will
release their findings on these approaches in the coming weeks.
The Administration will issue
a new “Safe School Checklist” to give schools a clear game plan for how to get
as many of their staff and students vaccinated as possible: The best way to
avoid outbreaks in schools is to stop transmission before it happens – and the
best tool we have to stop transmission and keep schools open is vaccinating everyone
who is eligible. Now, all students ages 5 and up are eligible for COVID-19
vaccination. Today, the Administration will issue a new “Safe Schools
Checklist” to all K-12 schools, detailing a set of actions that every school
can take to get their staff and students vaccinated – including hosting
school-located vaccination clinics, hosting community-based and family
vaccination clinics and events, implementing vaccination requirements for
school staff, and getting eligible vaccinated school staff booster shots. The
Checklist will also link to resources schools can use to set up these
initiatives and talk to families about the importance of vaccination.
Providing every resource to
the FDA to support timely review of applications for vaccines for individuals
under the age of 5: The President will announce that, as he did for a
vaccine for kids ages 5-11, he supports the independent scientific review of a
vaccine for those individuals under the age of 5 and will provide the FDA with
any needed resources to do this safely and as quickly as possible once data is
submitted to the agency.
Expanding Free At-Home Testing
for Americans: Today, the President will announce new steps to ensure that
Americans has access to free at-home testing. First, the more than 150 million
Americans with private insurance – who now are able to get tests covered in
physician offices, pharmacies, and clinics with no cost sharing – will also be
able to get at-home tests reimbursed by their insurance. Second, for those not
covered by private insurance, in addition to more than 20,000
federally-supported free testing sites across the U.S., at-home tests will be
distributed through key community sites, such as health centers and rural
clinics. The Biden Administration has taken significant steps to increase
testing in the country since January. We are on track to quadruple the supply
of rapid at-home tests that we had in late-Summer. Today’s actions will help
Americans access the tests they need to help them stop the spread of COVID-19
to others.
Providing health plan coverage
of no-cost rapid, over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests: To expand access and affordability of at-home
COVID-19 tests, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the
Treasury will issue guidance by January 15th to clarify that individuals who
purchase OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests will be able to seek reimbursement from
their group health plan or health insurance issuer and have insurance cover the
cost during the public health emergency. Workplace screening would remain
consistent with current guidance. Today’s announcement follows the President’s
September action directing more than $2 billion to accelerate the production of
rapid tests and an additional $1 billion investment in procuring at-home tests.
Over the same time period, FDA authorized five additional over-the-counter
tests. A total of 8 tests are on the market today; no test was on the market
when the President took office.
Expanding community
distribution of free at-home tests through neighborhood sites such as health
centers and rural clinics: To ensure equitable access to free at-home tests
for our uninsured and underserved communities, the President will double the
commitment from September to distribute 25 million free tests to community
sites to 50 million tests and will add rural clinics to the program.
Partnerships with trusted community providers will aid in getting these
important testing supplies into the homes of our hardest-hit communities.
Stronger Public Health
Protocols for Safe International Travel: Last month, the Administration
implemented stronger international travel protocols, including requirements for
foreign travelers to be fully vaccinated. The very day the WHO identified the
new Omicron variant, the Biden Administration took immediate steps to restrict
travel from the countries in the region where it was confirmed to be spreading
quickly. The President will announce additional steps to strengthen the safety
of international travel as we face this new threat – just as we have faced
those that have come before it.
Strengthening global
pre-departure testing protocols: Early next week, the United States will
tighten pre-departure testing protocols by requiring all inbound international
travelers to test within one day of departure globally, regardless of
nationality or vaccination status. This tighter testing timeline provides an
added degree of public health protection as scientists continue to assess the
Omicron variant.
Extending the requirement to
wear a mask on airplanes, rail travel, and public transportation: The
Administration will continue to require masking during international or other
public travel – as well as in transportation hubs such as airports or indoor
bus terminals – through March 18 as we continue to battle COVID-19 this winter.
The Transportation Security Administration will extend its implementing orders
to maintain these requirements through March 18. Fines will continue to be
doubled from their initial levels for noncompliance with the masking requirements
– with a minimum fine of $500 and fines of up to $3,000 for repeat offenders.
Protecting Workplaces to Keep
Businesses Open: Today, the President will announce additional progress
we’re making in protecting workers and keeping our economy growing and businesses
open. Since President Biden took office, the economy has added 5.6 million
jobs, new unemployment claims have fallen by 70 percent, and applications for
new businesses have risen 30 percent above the pre-pandemic average. To protect
this progress and to ensure workers stay safe and on the job, we have to slow
the spread of COVID-19 in our workplaces and places of businesses. Vaccination
requirements do just that. The President is calling on businesses to continue
to take steps to ensure workers are protected as we head into the winter.
Calling on businesses to move
forward with vaccination or testing programs: The President will call on
businesses to move forward expeditiously with requiring their workers to get
vaccinated or tested weekly. This is especially important given the Omicron
variant. No business should shut down this winter because of COVID-19. The
Department of Labor has provided a clear roadmap to help businesses keep
workers safe and their doors open. Already, 60 percent of businesses report
they are moving forward with implementing a program to ensure their workers are
either vaccinated or tested on a weekly basis, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
and more than 100 leading public health experts have encouraged businesses to
not delay in implementing these protective measures. The President will urge
businesses to take steps now to protect workers, customers, and the economy.
Rapid Response Teams to Help
Battle Rising Cases: Today, the President will announce new actions to help
states battle any potential COVID-19 outbreaks this winter, including of the
Omicron variant. As we worked to bring down the Delta surge throughout this
summer and fall, we successfully deployed thousands of federal personnel to
help 27 states and two territories. These COVID-19 Surge Response Teams
mobilized to address critical needs on the ground, including personnel,
therapeutics, and technical expertise. To date, we have deployed over 2,000
personnel, including 1,300 clinical providers; surged over 3,200 ventilators,
ambulances and other critical supplies; and shipped over 2.3 million courses of
lifesaving monoclonal antibody treatments. As we face the potential of a new
variant and rising cases during the winter months, today, the President will
make clear that federal government will once again be prepared to help.
Making 60+ Winter COVID
emergency response team deployments available to states: To ensure states
have the help they need as they battle rising cases, the President will
announce new emergency response teams that will be available to help supplement
state efforts. These teams include: 20+ Department of Defense Medical Response
Team deployments to support clinical staffing at strained hospitals. 10
National Disaster Medical System team deployments to provide clinical support
at strained hospitals. 20+ monoclonal antibody strike team deployments to
support the administration of these lifesaving treatments. 15+ CDC expert
deployments to conduct outbreak investigations and provide epidemiological or
technical support whenever needed.
Strengthening our national
volunteer emergency medical response corps to support communities in need:
To help local municipalities strengthen their health preparedness and response,
today the President will announce $20 million in funding from the American
Rescue Plan to strengthen the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), a network of medical
and public health volunteers organized locally to improve the health of their
communities. This funding will provide additional resources needed to support
the roughly 300,000 MRC medical and public health professionals who have
already volunteered more than 2 million hours toward local COVID-19 response.
HHS will also lead a national effort to mobilize volunteers, including retired
doctors and nurses, in areas with rising COVID cases.
Supplying Treatment Pills to
Help Prevent Hospitalizations and Death: As we head into winter, new
COVID-19 treatments may be on the horizon that could help prevent
hospitalization and death. As these treatments continue to be developed and
reviewed, today, the President will announce that we are ensuring that if and
when any new COVID-19 treatment pills have been found to meet FDA’s scientific
standards, they are equitably accessible to all Americans, regardless of their
income or their zip code.
Securing enough supply and
ensuring pills are widely available in the hardest-hit, highest-risk
communities: The Administration is taking steps to secure 13 million doses
of antiviral courses to ensure we have ample supply for Americans who need
treatment. That number is six times the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations
reported throughout this entire year. As more and more treatments may become
available in the coming months, the Administration will ensure our underserved
communities, often at highest risk from the virus, will be able to conveniently
access these potentially lifesaving treatments.
Continued Commitment to Global
Vaccination Efforts: Today, the President will reaffirm his commitment to
help vaccinate the globe, and call on other countries to do the same to combat
this pandemic globally and help prevent the development of new variants.
Donating 1.2 billion doses to
the world: To date, the U.S. has committed to donate 1.2 billion doses to
the world. For every one shot the Biden Administration has administered in the
U.S., we are donating about three doses to people around the world. The U.S. is
also the first country to give up its place in line for vaccines, allowing the
African Union to immediately start receiving up to 110 million doses of Moderna
at a reduced rate negotiated by the United States. And, we are working with
partners to expand supply of critical ancillary needs like syringes. Accelerating
the delivery of more vaccines to countries in need by pledging to deliver 200
million more doses in the next 100 days. To build on our donations of over 275
million doses that have been shared with 110 countries, including 94 million
doses to Africa, we are pledging to deliver 200 million more doses in the next
100 days – accelerating the delivery of vaccines to countries in need. These
doses are being delivered for free with no strings attached. The U.S. is also
the first country to negotiate a deal with J&J and the COVAX facility to
send vaccines directly to humanitarian settings and conflict zones to vaccinate
displaced people.
Taking steps to ramp up
manufacturing here and abroad, building out a sustainable supply chain and
increasing capacity globally to make vaccines: We are ramping up vaccine
manufacturing, building a sustainable supply chain and increasing global
capacity to make additional vaccines. We will continue our work to invest in
companies that have experience manufacturing mRNA vaccines to help them expand
capacity by an additional 1 billion doses per year, with production starting by
the second half of 2022.
Turning vaccines into
vaccinations: We are working with country partners to get doses into arms
with plans tailored to specific country needs. With lines of effort ranging
from communications campaigns to build vaccine confidence, to funding for
vaccinators on the front line – the U.S. government is committed to getting
people vaccinated around the world.
Steps to Ensure We Are
Prepared for All Scenarios: Health and medical experts believe that the
current vaccines authorized in the U.S. provide at least some protection
against the Omicron variant and that boosters strengthen that protection
significantly. However, to ensure that we are prepared for all scenarios, the
Administration is taking steps now to be able to quickly act if updated
vaccinations or boosters are needed to respond to the Omicron variant.
Accelerating the development
and deployment of new vaccines and boosters if needed for the Omicron variant:
The President is committed to using every resource and tool available to the
U.S. government to ensure that we can quickly get updated vaccines and boosters
to the American people in the unlikely event they are needed to battle the
Omicron variant. The Administration is working closely with executives at
Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson to develop contingency plans for
other vaccinations or boosters if needed. The President will also use every
resource available to help support the FDA and CDC to quickly review new
vaccines, if needed, while ensuring that the rigorous safety review process is
upheld. The President is also committed to doing the same for any COVID-19
treatment that may be needed for this variant.
^ This sounds good, but I’m not
sure if Biden will be able to actually fulfill on doing all of this. Example: right now it is near impossible for people to get Booster Shots. ^
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