White House: People likely to need annual COVID-19 boosters

Top White House health officials indicated Tuesday that the public is likely to need annual COVID-19 booster shots, making this year’s updated booster similar to an annual flu shot.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that, looking forward with the COVID-19 pandemic, in the absence of a dramatically different variant, we likely are moving towards a path of vaccination cadence similar to that of the annual influenza vaccine, with annual updated COVID-19 shots matched to the currently circulating strains for most of the population,” Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious diseases doctor, said during a briefing. 

The messaging from the White House is an attempt to sell the public on the benefits of the variant-specific booster dose that was authorized last week. 

As the White House signals a shift from the emergency phase of the pandemic, officials are trying to ensure people stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots.