If Congress doesn't pass the additional funding the administration has requested, the U.S. will not have enough Covid vaccine shots this fall.
Biden said the U.S. has enough vaccine to give to people who are eligible for fourth shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week recommended an additional Pfizer or Moderna dose for people ages 50 and older, as well as certain younger individuals who have compromised immune systems.
After his remarks, Biden received his fourth dose on live television.
The president called on Congress to act to ensure the U.S. has the resources it needs if another wave of infections occurs.
Biden said Americans are back to living their lives again. Congress should act. You have to act quickly. The consequences of inaction will only get worse with time.
From the peak of the winter omicron wave in January, new infections and hospitalizations have plummeted. The decline of infections has slowed in recent days due to the emergence of a new type of Covid called BA.2 in the U.S.
The White House's chief medical advisor said earlier this month that he doesn't think there will be another surge in infections.
Infections will fall through the spring and summer according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist at IHME, said there could be another surge in the fall as immunity from the vaccines fades.
Democrats and Republicans in Congress have not been able to reach a bipartisan agreement on Covid funding. Republicans want to cut funds appropriated for state and local governments to cover any new spending. Democrats did not accept that demand.
The House and Senate are working on a compromise.
If another Covid wave sweeps the U.S., Biden warned that the U.S. will not have the money to surge testing.
The website covid.gov is where Americans can find out where they can get masks, tests, vaccines and treatments.
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