More vaccine requirements: This time, Biden focuses on nursing home staff

Joe Biden, U.S. President: “Today, I am announcing a new step. If you work in a nursing home and serve people on Medicare or Medicaid, you will also be required to get vaccinated. More than 130,000 residents in nursing homes have sadly, over the period of this virus passed away. At the same time, vaccination rates among nursing home staff significantly trail the rest of the country.”

“Studies show that highly vaccinated nursing home staff is associated with at least 30 percent less COVID-19 cases among long term care residents. With this announcement, I’m using the power of the federal government as a payer of health care costs to insure reduce those risks to our most vulnerable seniors. These steps are all about keeping people safe and out of harm’s way.”

“Earlier today, our medical experts announced a plan for booster shots to every fully vaccinated American, adult American. You know, this will boost your immune response, will increase your protection from COVID-19, and it’s the best way to protect ourselves from new variants that could arise. The plan is for every adult to get a booster shot eight months after you got your second shot. Pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration, the CDC’s committee of outside experts will be ready to start these booster, this booster program during the week of September 20. In which time anyone vaccinated or before January 20 will be eligible to get a booster shot.”

“Just remember, there’s a simple rule, eight months after your second shot, get a booster shot. These booster shots are free. Be able to get the booster shots at any one of approximately 80,000 thousand vaccination locations nationwide. It will be easy to show your vaccination card and you’ll get a booster. No other I.D., no insurance, no state residency requirement. My administration has been planning for this possibility and for this scenario for months. We purchased enough vaccine and vaccine supplies so that when your eight month mark comes up, you’ll be ready to get your vaccination free, a booster shot free, we have it available. It will make you safer and for longer. And will help us end the pandemic faster.”

“Now, I know there’s some world leaders who say America shouldn’t get a third shot until other countries got their first shot. I disagree. We can take care of America and help the world at the same time. In June and July, America administered 50 million shots here in the United States and we donated a hundred million shots to other countries. That means that America has donated more vaccine to other countries than every other country in the world combined.”