Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Rolls Up His Sleeve For Booster; McConnell, Too, In 'Easy Decision'
AP: Biden, McConnell Get COVID-19 Boosters, Encourage Vaccines
Seventy-eight-year-old Joe Biden and 79-year-old Mitch McConnell got their booster shots Monday, the Democratic president and the Republican Senate leader urging Americans across the political spectrum to get vaccinated or plus up with boosters when eligible for the extra dose of protection. The shots, administered just hours apart on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue, came on the first workday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for Americans 65 and older and approved them for others with preexisting medical conditions and high-risk work environments. (Miller, 9/27)
Politico: Biden Gets Covid Booster Shot
Biden received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 21, 2020, and his second dose on Jan. 11, both on live television. The president's booster dose was administered as the White House press pool observed and asked questions, creating an impromptu press conference as Biden rolled up his sleeve. Individuals who want to receive a booster must have had their second shot at least six months ago. Only those who received the Pfizer vaccine are currently eligible for boosters, but Moderna has asked the FDA to approve its booster shot and Johnson & Johnson has begun submitting data on a booster as well. (Rafford, 9/27)
The Hill: McConnell Gets Booster, Calls It 'Easy Decision'
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he received the COVID-19 booster shot on Monday, calling his choice to get the third dose “an easy decision.” ... “I’m glad to share that a few minutes ago, I received a booster vaccination for COVID-19,” McConnell said. “All throughout the pandemic, I have followed the best advice from experts and especially from my own health care providers. It was an easy decision to receive a booster.” (Coleman, 9/27)
Also —
CNBC: Unvaccinated Americans Say The Need For Boosters Proves Covid Vaccines Don't Work
The divide in attitudes on Covid-19 vaccines between people who’ve gotten or not gotten the shots hasn’t changed with the introduction of booster shots. In fact, vaccinated people say the third dose approved by U.S. regulators last week shows that scientists are trying to make the shots more effective while 71% of unvaccinated Americans say it’s proof the vaccines don’t work, according to a survey released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Rattner, 9/28)
Axios: Non-Pfizer Recipients Wondering When Their COVID Booster Will Come
A rush of patients — and their questions — followed last week's news that the CDC and FDA would greenlight Pfizer-BioNTech COVID boosters, the Washington Post reported. The recommendation that those older than 65, the immunocompromised and those in high-risk jobs includes a lot of people — but it left out most who received the Moderna shot and all who received Johnson & Johnson. The wait for boosters news is making some non-Pfizer vaccine recipients a bit salty. (Owens, 9/27)
Stat: Biden Administration Backs Scientific Advisers But Not What They Have To Say
Over the past month, the United States public has received a booster dose of confusion. Follow this whiplash-inducing chain of events. (Herper, 9/27)
