Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, was asked about the low rates of people receiving booster vaccinations.
“Dr. Anthony Fauci, at his last White House briefing before he retires, [urged] Americans to get vaccinated as we head into the holiday season. As families gather, fierce cases of COVID, flu, and RSV could all rise at the same time,” ABC’s This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz said in a discussion with Jha. “You heard Dr. Fauci. The administration is launching a new campaign urging people to get those flu shots, get those COVID boosters. I think only about 11% have gotten the booster so far, maybe 42 million the flu shot. People aren’t listening. What do you do?”
OMICRON BOOSTERS OFFER ADDITIONAL PROTECTION AGAINST COVID-19 INFECTION: CDC
“It’s incredibly important as we head into the holidays for people to update their immunity, get the new COVID vaccine, get the flu shot. It’s a great way to stay safe and healthy this holiday season,” Jha responded. “We know these vaccines, first of all, are incredibly effective. They’re very safe.”
Jha also noted a University of California, Los Angeles, study that showed a correlation between low COVID-19 vaccination rates and flu vaccination rates. Jha recommended that trusted voices speak out more to convince people to get vaccinated and boosted.
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“I really believe if we do that and we continue pursuing that strategy, more and more Americans are going to get vaccinated,” Jha said.
The Biden administration started a six-week campaign on Tuesday focused on getting booster shots into the arms of seniors and members of other communities hit hard by COVID-19. The campaign, launched in part by Jha, allocates additional funding for community health centers and community-based organizations.
