{"id":19397,"date":"2022-10-26T11:04:27","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T15:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/covid19\/?p=19397"},"modified":"2022-10-26T11:15:20","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T15:15:20","slug":"white-house-joe-biden-administration-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/2022\/10\/26\/white-house-joe-biden-administration-5\/","title":{"rendered":"White House (Joe Biden Administration)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive  embed-responsive-16by9\"><div class=\"iframe-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"embed-responsive-item\"   title=\"President Biden Receives his Updated COVID-19 Vaccine and Delivers Remarks\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/f-ehCTw_oCc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"page-title topper__title news\" data-beat=\"1\" data-beat-topper=\"1\">Remarks by President<span class=\"dewidow\">&nbsp;<\/span>Biden on the Status of the Country\u2019s Fight Against<span class=\"dewidow\">&nbsp;<\/span>COVID-<span class=\"dewidow\">\u2060<\/span>19<\/h2>\n<p>South Court Auditorium<br \/>\nEisenhower Executive Office Building<\/p>\n<p>October 25, 2022<\/p>\n<p>2:10 P.M. EDT<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nTHE PRESIDENT:&nbsp; Hello, folks.&nbsp; You can roll your sleeves up, all come up if you want.&nbsp; (Laughter.)<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nGood afternoon.&nbsp; I\u2019m here today with my COVID team, as well as leaders from some of America\u2019s top pharmacies: Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Albertsons.&nbsp; And we\u2019re here with a simple message: Get vaccinated.&nbsp; Update your vac- \u2014 your COVID vaccine.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIt\u2019s incredibly effective.&nbsp; But the truth is, not enough people are getting it.&nbsp; We\u2019ve got to change that so we can all have a safe and healthy holiday season.&nbsp; That\u2019s why I\u2019m getting my shot updated today.&nbsp; And I \u2014 I think we\u2019re a little intimidating.&nbsp; The nurse who\u2019s going give it, we told her it\u2019s on television.&nbsp; But at any rate.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nYou know, as we know, this virus is constantly changing.&nbsp; New variants have emerged here in the U.S. and around the world.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWe\u2019ve seen cases and hospitalizations rise in Europe in recent weeks.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnd the weather is getting colder.&nbsp; People will spend more time indoors.&nbsp; And contagious viruses, like COVID, are going to spread considerably more easily.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnd as \u2014 as a country, you know, we \u2014 we have a choice to make.&nbsp; Can we repeat what happened in past winters \u2014 more infections; more hospitalizations; more loved ones getting sick, even dying from the virus \u2014 or we can have a much better winter if we use all \u2014 all of the tools we have available to us now?<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnd let\u2019s start with the COVID updates \u2014 vaccines.&nbsp; They\u2019re designed to fight a specific Omicron strain that is dominant in our country right now.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThis is a \u2014 really, it\u2019s a serious, giant step forward.&nbsp; Remember, Omicron did not even exist when the first vaccines against COVID were developed.&nbsp; It didn\u2019t even exist.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWe\u2019re especially fortunate here in the United States, because my administration made sure that we have the \u2014 we\u2019re the first country in the world to have vaccines that target most common COVID strains.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nFor Americans over five years of age who are fully vaccinated, our nation\u2019s health experts recommend that they get the updated COVID vaccine once a year.&nbsp; In other words, it\u2019s just like the flu shot.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnd if you\u2019re fully vaccinated, get one more COVID shot.&nbsp; Once a year \u2014 that\u2019s it.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNow, some high-risk people, such as the elderly and immunocompromised, may need more than one COVID shot.&nbsp; But for most Americans, one COVID shot each year will be all they need.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnd if you get it, you\u2019re protected.&nbsp; And if you don\u2019t, you\u2019re putting yourself and other people at unnecessary risk.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThe shot is free.&nbsp; It\u2019s widely available and conveniently located, just in time for the holiday season.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nLook, over 20 million of our fellow Americans have already gotten the shot.&nbsp; I\u2019m calling on all Americans \u2014 I don\u2019t \u2014 seems like having to make this case again \u2014 all Americans to get their shots just as soon as they can.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nYour old vaccine or your previous COVID infection will not give you maximum protection.&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nLet me as plain as I \u2014 let me be as plain as I can.&nbsp; We still have hundreds of people dying each day from COVID in this country \u2014 hundreds.&nbsp; That number is likely to rise this winter.<\/p>\n<p>But this year is different from the past.&nbsp; This year, nearly every death is preventable.&nbsp; Let me say it again: Nearly every death is preventable.<\/p>\n<p>So, get updated \u2014 get your updated COVID shot.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNow is the time to do it \u2014 by Halloween, if you can.&nbsp; That\u2019s the best time.&nbsp; And that way, you can be protected for the holidays.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnd please, while you\u2019re at it, get the flu shot.&nbsp; Have your kids get their flu shot.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nYou can get them at the same time.&nbsp; You can get the flu shot and COVID at the same time, either at your doctor\u2019s office or at one of the drugstores.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWe\u2019re already seeing a rise in the flu and RSV and other respiratory illnesses, especially among young children.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nSo, take precautions.&nbsp; Stay safe.&nbsp; You can spend Thanksgiving with family and friends with a peace of mind, knowing that you\u2019ve done your part for everyone\u2019s wellbeing.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nMy administration is doing our part.&nbsp; We\u2019ve made these updated vaccines easy to get and available for free at tens of thousands of convenient lo- \u2014 locations.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThese include local pharmacies, doctors\u2019s offices, community health centers, rural health clinics that serve hard-to-reach areas in America.&nbsp; Ninety-five percent \u2014 ninety-five percent of Americans can find a free, update vaccine within five miles of where they live.&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nYou can go to Vaccines.gov.&nbsp; Let me say that again: Go to Vaccines.gov to find a location near you.&nbsp; Again, I\u2019m going to say it one more time: Go to Vaccines.gov to find a \u2014 a place where you can get the shot near you.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWe\u2019re working with doctors, community groups, faith leaders, and companies.&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nLeaders of some of our nation\u2019s largest \u2014 largest ph- \u2014 pharmaceutical chains, as I said, are \u2014 are standing behind me.&nbsp; They are all stepping up to help more people get vaccinated.&nbsp; Some are offering coupons when people get their updated COVID shots.&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nGet the shot.&nbsp; Get 5, 10, 20 dollars off at your drugstore or grocery purchase next \u2014 or grocery purchase next time, at the time you get the shot.&nbsp; Some are making it easy for you just to walk in and get your vaccine right away, including on nights and weekends.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnd others from the private sector are stepping up too \u2014 as well, including delivering COVID treatments right to people\u2019s homes for free.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNow, what do you do if you think you have COVID?&nbsp; Well, please, get tested so you can be treated.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWe mailed out hundreds of millions of free test kits earlier this year.&nbsp; We had to pause the program because, unfortunately, some of our friends in Congress failed to continue to fund the COVID response.&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nBut if you have already used up these free tests, that\u2019s okay.&nbsp; We have required health insurance com- \u2014 we have required health insurance companies to cover free at-home tests \u2014 eight tests per person per month.&nbsp; Folks on Medicare and Medicaid can get free at-home tests as well.&nbsp; And we have made free testing widely available in communities.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnd then, if you test positive for COVID, get treated.&nbsp; We have amazing treatments available now.&nbsp; They can help stop COVID infections from turning into serious illness.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWe are the only large country in the world that made Paxlovid \u2014 pac- \u2014 Paclovid [sic] widely available for free.&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nYou can get it prescribed by your doctor or at thousands of Test to- \u2014 Test to Treat sites or even from your local pharmacist.&nbsp; Pick it up for free at your pharmacy.&nbsp; It\u2019s a pill.&nbsp; It\u2019s a pill.&nbsp; It\u2019s easy.&nbsp; Paxlovid can save your life.&nbsp; It\u2019s worth it.&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nHere\u2019s the bottom line: Virtually every COVID death in America is preventable \u2014 virtually every one.&nbsp; Almost everyone who will die from COVID this year will not be up to date on their shots or they will not have taken Paxlovid when they got sick.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWe\u2019ve made the vaccines free and available.&nbsp; We\u2019ve made the tests free and available.&nbsp; We\u2019ve made Paxlovid free and available.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nPlease use them.&nbsp; Use them.&nbsp; And encourage your friends and loved ones and neighbors to use them as well.&nbsp; It can save a life.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nTo employers, help your employees get vaccinated.&nbsp; Set up a vaccine clinic in your \u2014 in your building.&nbsp; Give people time off to get it if it\u2019s \u2014 if necessary.&nbsp; Share good, clear information, just like you do for the flu shots.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nTo school and college leaders, help your communities get vaccinated this fall.&nbsp; Host on-site clinics before Thanksgiving.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAnd to our friends in Congress, it\u2019s time to step up with much-needed COVID funding.&nbsp; Help us stay ahead of the virus and keep our communities going strong with free vaccines, free tests, and widely available treatments, as we\u2019ve done so far.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nSome of our friends in Congress say we don\u2019t need COVID funding, or they say there\u2019s really no reason that the government should be paying for that.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nI strongly disagree.&nbsp; Strongly disagree.&nbsp; This is a global health emergency.&nbsp; If we really want to put COVID behind us, we have to keep up the fight together.&nbsp; We can\u2019t leave people to face it alone.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nSome members of Congress say they don\u2019t [do] want to move beyond COVID, but they don\u2019t want to spend the money to do it.&nbsp; We can\u2019t have it both ways.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThe funding we seek is critical to continue the work to develop and purchase the most effective treatments and vaccines against COVID.&nbsp; It\u2019s important.&nbsp; It\u2019s important.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNow I want to speak directly to those with special conditions.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNew variants may make some existing protections ineffective for the immunocompromised.&nbsp; Sadly, this means you may be at a special risk this winter.&nbsp; So, I urge you \u2014 I urge you to consult with your doctor on the right steps to protect yourself.&nbsp; Take extra precautions.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nI also want to say this: As we enter this new moment in the battle against COVID, let\u2019s use it to start fresh as a country, to put all the old battles over COVID behind us, to put all the partisan politics aside.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nWe\u2019ve already lost over 1 million Americans to COVID \u2014 over 1 million Americans to COVID.&nbsp; And we can do so much now to reduce the number of people who die from this terrible disease.&nbsp; We have the tools.&nbsp; We have the vaccines.&nbsp; We have the treatments.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNone of this is about politics.&nbsp; It\u2019s about your health and the health of your loved ones.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nI\u2019ll close with this: Over the past 20 months, my administration has left no stone unturned to make lifesaving tools widely available and easily accessible.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNow COVID cases are down by more than 80 percent from when I took office.&nbsp; COVID deaths are down nearly 90 percent.&nbsp; And now we\u2019re in the longest stre- \u2014 stretch since the virus emerged when our hospitals are not overrun with severely ill COVID patients.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThat didn\u2019t just happen.&nbsp; It took a combination of incredibly effective vaccines, tests, and treatments to get us there \u2014 one of the biggest public health efforts ever undertaken in this country.&nbsp; But together, we did it.&nbsp; And let\u2019s keep doing it.&nbsp; Let\u2019s keep going.&nbsp;<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThis fall, get your COVID shot and get your flu shot.&nbsp; It\u2019s simple.&nbsp; It\u2019s easy.&nbsp; For most Americans, it\u2019s one of the COVID shots per year.&nbsp; One \u2014 once a year it\u2019s going to be required.&nbsp; And it\u2019s the most important thing you can do.<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nSo, thank you.&nbsp; And now, I\u2019ll show you just how easy it is to get that shot.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re not giving me the shot, are you?<\/p>\n<p>DR. JHA:&nbsp; No, I\u2019m not.&nbsp; (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:&nbsp; All right.&nbsp; What am I doing?&nbsp; The left arm?<\/p>\n<p>MAJOR LIANG:&nbsp; Yes, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:&nbsp; All right.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Over 20 million Americans have received the updated COVID vaccine. Today, President Biden joined them.<\/p>\n<p>Now it\u2019s your turn: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5SMDHKKopq\">https:\/\/t.co\/5SMDHKKopq<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qMPqPz9TDu\">pic.twitter.com\/qMPqPz9TDu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WhiteHouse\/status\/1585028652475064341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 25, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>(The President moves to a chair to receive the booster shot.)<\/p>\n<p>Q&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mr. President, is COVID still a national emergency?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:&nbsp; It\u2019s a necessity to deal with making sure it doesn\u2019t become one.<\/p>\n<p>Q&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What\u2019s your reaction to the Saudis on oil \u2014 urging the U.S. not to use reserves?<\/p>\n<p>Q&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sir, do you think it was a \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:&nbsp; (Laughs.)&nbsp; Get your COVID shot.<\/p>\n<p>Q&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u2014 mistake for New York withdraw its mandate for vaccines?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:&nbsp; Say it again?<\/p>\n<p>(The President receives the booster shot.)<\/p>\n<p>Q&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you think it was a mistake for New York to withdraw its vaccine mandate for private employers?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:&nbsp; No, I don\u2019t thin- \u2014 that\u2019s a local judgement.&nbsp; And \u2014<\/p>\n<p>(Addressing Major Liang.)&nbsp; Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Q&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What is your next move now that Brittney Griner lost her appeal, Mr. President?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:&nbsp; We are in constant contact with Russian authorities to get Brittney and others out.&nbsp; And so far, we\u2019ve not been meeting with much positive response.&nbsp; But we\u2019re not stopping.<\/p>\n<p>(Cross-talk by reporters.)<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sorry, I can\u2019t \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The dirty bomb allegations from Russia, as it relates to Ukraine \u2014 do you believe that this is the beginning of a false-flag operation?&nbsp; Is Russia preparing to deploy a dirty bomb itself or a nuclear weapon?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:&nbsp; I \u2014 I spent a lot of time today talking about that.<\/p>\n<p>Let me just say: Russia would be making an incredibly serious mistake for it to use a tactical nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not guaranteeing you that it\u2019s a false-flag operation yet; I don\u2019t know.&nbsp; But it would be a serious, serious mistake.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>2:24 P.M. EDT<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"invisible\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/26\/JoeBiden-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Joe Biden\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Biden receives his updated COVID-19 vaccine and delivers remarks on the ongoing fight against the coronavirus on October 25, 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7,1],"tags":[38,705,28],"class_list":["post-19397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-institutions","category-updates","tag-dc","tag-joe-biden","tag-white-house"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/26\/JoeBiden-scaled.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19397"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19402,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19397\/revisions\/19402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/covid19\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}