President Joe Biden has received the updated COVID-19 vaccine and annual flu shot, according to the White House on Saturday.
The White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, stated in a memo that Biden received both shots on Friday. O’Connor also mentioned that Biden, 80, had been vaccinated against RSV, a respiratory illness, several weeks ago.
“As we enter the cold and flu season, the President encourages all Americans to follow his example and check with their healthcare provider or pharmacist to ensure that they are fully vaccinated,” wrote O’Connor.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommended the new COVID-19 shot for everyone aged 6 months and older. Although the severity of the pandemic has decreased, the United States still experiences thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths each week.
Health experts are concerned that immunity from previous vaccinations and infections may be diminishing in many individuals, making a new shot crucial for saving lives.
First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month but only experienced mild symptoms.
The CDC advises individuals who have COVID-19 and are in isolation to wait until their symptoms have disappeared and isolation guidelines have been met before getting vaccinated. Children and adults with multisystem inflammatory syndrome should also wait until they have recovered from their illness and 90 days have passed since the diagnosis.
Biden tested positive for COVID-19 in July 2022 and again slightly over three days after being cleared from coronavirus isolation. The second infection was a rare case of a “rebound” infection following treatment with an antiviral drug.
