White House COVID-19 Response Team Briefs U.S. on Omicron |
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"Unlike last winter, we now have the power to protect ourselves." |
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On December 17, the White House COVID-19 Response Team held a teleconference to discuss the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, and the safety recommendations for the winter ahead.
MR. ZIENTS: As we’ve explained in prior briefings, the Omicron variant is more transmissible and our medical experts anticipate it will lead to a rise in cases.
But unlike last winter, we now have the power to protect ourselves.
Our vaccines work against Omicron, especially for people who get booster shots when they are eligible. If you are vaccinated, you could test positive. But if you do get COVID, your case will likely be asymptomatic or mild.
We are intent on not letting Omicron disrupt work and school for the vaccinated. You’ve done the right thing, and we will get through this.
For the unvaccinated, you’re looking at a winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm.
So, our message to every American is clear: There is action you can take to protect yourself and your family. Wear a mask in public indoor settings. Get vaccinated, get your kids vaccinated, and get a booster shot when you’re eligible.
We are prepared to confront this new challenge. We have plenty of vaccines and booster shots available at convenient locations and for no cost. There is clear guidance on masking to help slow the spread. And we have emergency medical teams to respond to surges as necessary.
So, this is not a moment to panic because we know how to protect people and we have the tools to do it. But we need the American people to do their part to protect themselves, their children, and their communities.
The more people get vaccinated, the less severe this Omicron outbreak will be. One hundred sixty thousand unvaccinated people have already needlessly lost their lives just since June, and this number will continue to go up until the unvaccinated take action.
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There are several ways for adults to find a free COVID-19 vaccine:
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Search for vaccine appointments at Vaccines.gov, where you can search for availability by vaccine type.
- Call the CDC's COVID-19 vaccine hotline at 1.800.232.0233 (or TTY 1.888.720.7489). Help is available in multiple languages.
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Locate local vaccination events in Missouri at MOStopsCovid.com.
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Seniors and homebound adults can make arrangements using information at MOStopsCovid.com/seniors.
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A “booster shot” is not unique to COVID-19. In fact, booster shots are common for many of the vaccines that doctors and health officials recommend for everyone. The most common booster shots people get are annual flu vaccines and boosters for Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) recommended every 10 years.
COVID-19 booster shots help your body maintain a higher level of immunity and protection against breakthrough COVID-19 infections. A breakthrough infection occurs when someone who is fully vaccinated gets COVID-19. That person can still get sick and spread the virus to others—although most vaccinated people will have milder symptoms.
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Empower Your Community:
Download Our COVID-19 Vaccine Rural Outreach Toolkit!
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With new variants continuing to pop up, and mask mandates coming back into question, we understand the ever-changing information surrounding COVID-19 may cause fear and uncertainty. However, as the Omicron variant's arrival merges with flu season, it's more important than ever to protect yourself and your family this winter.
Help us ease concern in your community by combatting common myths about the virus, vaccines, and booster shots. We have partnered with REACH Healthcare Foundation to deliver a free-to-use toolkit to help you empower and protect your community.
The toolkit, offered in English and Spanish, features educational content and resources designed to inform and educate about vaccine development, safety, dosing, and more, including:
- Social media graphics (available in English and Spanish).
- Fact sheets (available in English and Spanish).
- A poster.
- A video.
- Editorial.
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Get the facts before you #GetTheShot - It's your body and your business.
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Did You Complete Your Primary Dose? |
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While it is true that one dose of the vaccine will offer some protection against the virus, it is not nearly as effective as receiving both doses. Mutations such as the Delta variant will also continue to challenge the strength of the original vaccine, making the second shot critical.
Difficulty accessing the COVID-19 vaccine, often due to a lack of transportation in rural areas, led to a small but significant share of people skipping a second dose. However, for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, completion of the second dose is critical in protecting you from COVID-19. Missouri offers several programs to assist those who need rides to COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
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Everyone Ages 16+ Can Get a Booster Shot |
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Who can get a booster?
- People 16 years and older who received the initial Pfizer vaccine series.
- Adults 18 years and older who received either the initial Moderna vaccine series or the Johnson & Johnson shot.
When should I get a booster?
- At least six months after completing the primary series of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
- At least two months after completing the primary Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Which booster can I get?
- Teens 16-17 years old who received the Pfizer vaccine can only receive the Pfizer vaccine as a booster dose.
- Adults 18 and older who have completed their primary vaccination series may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose.
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Still Experiencing Symptoms post-COVID? |
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Even if you’ve already recovered from COVID-19, health experts are still learning how long you are protected before you are at risk of getting sick again. Though clinical trials continue to monitor the COVID-19 recovery process, there is still uncertainty of the short-term and long-term effects.
There are a variety of “long-haul” symptoms individuals can experience after having COVID-19 such as: brain fog, fatigue, weak muscles, mood changes and more. COVID-19 vaccines are the best way to protect your family against COVID-19 and post-COVID conditions, including long-haul COVID.
Long-term protection from COVID-19 beats possible short-term side effects after the shot, such as fever, chills and soreness at the injection site. This is normal and simply means the body is building immunity against COVID-19.
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Pfizer Testing Three Doses to Boost Vaccine Efficacy in Children Under Five |
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On December 17, Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer)announced it would be testing three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in infants and children older than six months and younger than five.
Upon reviewal of preliminary analysis suggesting 2-4-year-olds did not have an adequate response to two doses of the vaccine, Pfizer decided to administer an additional dose in their study.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency approved the change, allowing Pfizer to administer an additional dose in their study of children six months-under five years.
Each vaccine dose for children under five will be 3 mg, or a tenth of what adults receive. Children five to 11 years of age currently receive a third of the adult dose.
Pfizer was expected to release data from its study of children under five by the end of 2021. If the three-dose study is successful, they plan to apply for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to administer vaccines to this age group by the first half of 2022.
At this time, Pfizer has not reported any safety concerns in their study of vaccinating children under five.
Pfizer is also planning to evaluate a third booster dose of their 10 mg vaccine in children five to 12 years old. Currently underway is a study of 10 or 30 mg booster doses in adolescents 12-17 years of age.
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Concerned about vaccine safety? |
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Because COVID-19 has hit Black and Hispanic communities the hardest, researchers made sure to include these populations in clinical research. Medical research has historically excluded Black and Hispanic experiences, prompting COVID-19 vaccine researchers to ensure volunteers included people of color and adults from many backgrounds and walks of life.
Pediatricians, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and children’s hospitals have declared a national state of emergency for child and adolescent mental health due to COVID-19. Getting your child vaccinated can help them feel a sense of normalcy and stability.
Children 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive the low-dose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Clinical trials reveal vaccines for children are safe and found to give strong protection against COVID-19, including against the Delta variant. Getting them vaccinated is a good first step to health and healing.
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FDA Authorizes First Oral Antiviral for Treatment of COVID-19 |
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On December 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Pfizer’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets, co-packaged for oral use) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease in adults and pediatric patients with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.
Paxlovid is available by prescription only and should be initiated as soon as possible after diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of symptom onset.
“Today’s authorization introduces the first treatment for COVID-19 that is in the form of a pill that is taken orally — a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic,” said Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
“This authorization provides a new tool to combat COVID-19 at a crucial time in the pandemic as new variants emerge and promises to make antiviral treatment more accessible to patients who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.”
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