U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and New York City Department of Health and Mental Health Director Ashwin Basin received new Omicron boosters in Harlem on Monday, also responding to President Joe Biden who believes the pandemic is over.
Becerra accompanied Vasan on a joint visit to Pediatrics 2000, a non-profit network of over 3,000 physicians serving more than 1 million patients from low-income communities of color at 3332 Broadway . The pair sought to spread awareness of her BIvalent, the latest booster designed to protect against BA.4 and BA.5 variants. Officials rolled up their sleeves for Dr. Yomaris Pena.
“The COVID-19 vaccine has weathered the worst of the pandemic, saved millions of lives, kept countless people out of hospitals and brought peace to the country. As the number of people who qualify for this free, updated COVID vaccine is increasing, we encourage everyone to protect themselves and their loved ones in the same way they would get their annual flu vaccine. We also encourage all parents to get their children over the age of six months free of the primary vaccine for COVID-19 if they haven’t already had it,” said Becerra, who will get a booster. He added that the pain scale was 0 out of 10.
Medical experts actively promoted the importance of getting vaccinated to save lives, while also answering questions about President Biden’s latest comments on COVID-19. While appearing on 60 Minutes, Biden declared the pandemic over, while also saying that COVID remains an issue his administration is grappling with.
“I think the president reflected what many Americans feel and think COVID has disrupted our lives for so long. But make no mistake, people are still dying, and what the President is saying is that we are all learning how to deal with this virus. , is that we want to go back to where we were before, and we have done a lot to get back to where we can live our lives. And I believe the President made it very clear: COVID is still here and we need to make sure we are smart.”
According to recent NYC DOH citywide vaccine data, SOMOS has focused its efforts on black and brown community members, distributing approximately 2 million vaccines, yet black people under the age of five Fewer than 2% and 3% of Latino children received one dose. of the COVID vaccine. This is something that weighs heavily on doctors’ minds when children return to school.
“Everyone over the age of 12 who has been at least two months since their last dose should get a boost today. There has never been a better time,” says Vasan.
