Biden to receive updated COVID vaccine on Tuesday

President Biden is set to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccination shot on Tuesday in an effort to encourage Americans to get their latest booster shots amid the ongoing pandemic. 

“The President will receive his updated COVID-19 vaccine and will deliver remarks on the ongoing fight against the virus,” the White House said in an email Sunday evening.

Biden first tested positive for the virus in July and then, three days after being released from isolation, tested positive again in a rebound case after taking the antiviral drug Paxliod. Biden’s physician said he experienced mild symptoms due to his being fully vaccinated and boosted against the virus. 

Health officials rolled out updated COVID-19 vaccine shots last month designed to target the latest omicron subvariants of the virus. COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have been dropping steadily since August, though uptake of the new boosters has been relatively slow.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisers have also recommended adding COVID-19 shots to the regular immunization schedule for patients over the age of six months. 

According to CDC data, 68 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated against the virus, with 48 percent having gotten their second booster shot.

As of Oct. 12, only about 7 percent of eligible Americans over 12 years old had received the updated “bivalent” booster.