WASHINGTON — President Biden will receive a second booster shot against the coronavirus Wednesday afternoon, a day after federal health officials approved an additional booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines for people over 50 and for many of those with compromised immune systems.
Officials said people in those two categories could have another chance at least four months after getting their first booster. Mr. Biden received a Pfizer-BioNTech booster at the end of September.
The White House said Mr. Biden, 79, would receive a Pfizer shot on Wednesday as his second booster. The president will get his chance after making comments on the state of play in the fight against the pandemic, in which he is expected to draw attention to a new website.
Mr. Biden and his top public health advisers have repeatedly urged people to be fully vaccinated with the initial two-shot regimen required with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. And they’ve said everyone should get a boost as the effectiveness of the first vaccination against infection by the virus wears off over time.
By taking the shot, the president hopes to encourage a population already tired of fighting Covid-19 and its vaccines. Officials said far fewer people received booster shots than original vaccinations.
Lawmakers and their Capitol Hill staff were informed Wednesday that they too could now receive a second booster dose, if they are over 50 or meet other criteria.
