Joe Biden Receives COVID-19 Booster Shot: Speech Transcript

Speaker 1: (00:44)
(silence) Good afternoon, Mr. President.

Joe Biden: (00:46)
Hello, everybody. How are you doing? Did you ever think you’d be senior press coming to watch someone get a shot in the old days? Me either. Anyway, like I did in my first and second COVID-19 vaccination shot, about to get my booster shot and do it publicly. That’s because the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, looked at all the data, completed their review, and determined the boosters for the Pfizer vaccine… Others will come later, maybe, I assume, but the Pfizer vaccine are safe and effective. They’ve had all the data they need.

Joe Biden: (01:30)
And last week, they laid out who is eligible for those boosters for now. You’re eligible for a booster if it’s been six months since your second Pfizer shot, and if you fall into one of these categories. People over 65, which is hard to acknowledge, adults… I’m only joking, folks. Adults with certain underlying health conditions like diabetes and obesity, and those who are at increased risk of COVID-19 because of where you work or where you live, like healthcare workers, teachers, first responders, grocery store clerks.

Joe Biden: (02:08)
If you fall under these categories, you’re eligible for the booster. Now I know it doesn’t look like it, but I am over 65. I wish I… Way over. And that’s why I’m getting my booster shot today. The booster line is, if you’re fully vaccinated… The bottom line is that if you’re fully vaccinated and you’re highly protected now from severe illness, even if you get COVID-19, you’re safe, and we’re going to do everything we can to keep it that way with the boosters.

Joe Biden: (02:38)
But let me be clear. Boosters are important. But the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated. The vast majority of Americans are doing the right thing. Over 77% of adults have gotten at least one shot. About 23% haven’t gotten any shots. And that distinct minority is causing an awful lot of us, an awful lot of damage for the rest of the country. This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. That’s why I’m moving forward with vaccination requirements wherever I can.

Joe Biden: (03:15)
On Wednesday, I’ll be traveling to Chicago to talk about why it’s so important that more businesses are instituting their own vaccine requirements. We know that to beat this pandemic and to save lives, to keep our children safe, our schools open, our economy going, we need to get folks vaccinated. So please, please do the right thing. Please get the shots, and it could save your life. It could save the lives of those around you. And it’s easy, accessible, and it’s free. So text your zip code to 438829. That’s 438829. Or visit vaccines.gov to find a vaccination location near you. We can do this. Get vaccinated. Thank you very much. Now I’m going to get my booster shot right here, and the major is going to give me the shot.

Speaker 3: (04:10)
Did you have any side effects with the second shot, Mr. President?

Joe Biden: (04:36)
No, I haven’t had any side effects the first or the second shot, thank goodness. [inaudible 00:04:42] take one now, but we’ll see. Is that high enough for you?

Speaker 3: (04:44)
Yeah [inaudible 00:04:47].

Speaker 1: (04:50)
Is the First Lady getting hers as well today, Mr. President?

Joe Biden: (04:53)
She’s going to get one. I think she’s teaching, but she’s going to get one. Yes.

Speaker 4: (04:58)
Mr. President, what would you say to world health leaders, like the World Health Organization, who say wealthy nations should help more countries without vaccinations get vaccinated before they give boosters here in America?

Joe Biden: (05:09)
We are helping. We’re doing more than every other nation in the world combined. We’re going to have well over a billion, 100 million shots, and we’re going to continue going. We’re going to do our part. We’ve also given a great deal of funding to COVAX, which is a vehicle that does this. So we have plenty, plenty of opportunities to make sure we get everyone in the world to play our part. The largest partner in the world that’s getting everyone vaccinated.

Speaker 1: (05:39)
How many Americans need to be vaccinated for us to get back to normal? What is the percentage of total vaccinations that have to be deployed?

Joe Biden: (05:46)
Well, I think… Look, I think we get the vast majority, like is going on in some industries and some schools, 97, 98%. I think we’re awful close, but I’m not the scientist. I think one thing for certain, quarter of the country can’t go unvaccinated and us not continue to have a problem.

Speaker 4: (06:14)
Any [crosstalk 00:06:15] reconciliation deal today, Mr. President, how close do you think you are?

Joe Biden: (06:20)
You know me. I’m a born optimist. I think things are going to go well. I think we’re going to get it done. But I have meetings tonight, tomorrow, and for the next little bit.

Speaker 5: (06:35)
[crosstalk 00:06:35] your agenda and your presidency, with what’s happening [inaudible 00:06:39]?

Joe Biden: (06:39)
Victory’s what’s at stake.

Speaker 6: (06:45)
[crosstalk 00:06:45] this week?

Joe Biden: (06:51)
Well, it may not be by the end of the week. I hope it’s by the end of the week. But as long as we’re still alive and long, we got three things to do. The debt ceiling, continue resolution, and the two pieces of legislation. We do that, the country’s going to be in great shape. Thank you [crosstalk 00:07:05].