Biden receives Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot days after CDC approval

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- During a televised event, President Joe Biden received his booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.

"Like I did my first and second COVID-19 vaccination booster shot, I'm about to get my booster shot and do it publicly," Biden said Monday. "That's because the FDA and the CDC looked at all the data, completed their review, and determined that boosters for the Pfizer vaccines are safe and effective."

The 78-year-old is among those that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended on Thursday to get the booster shot. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said it favored booster shots at least six months after the two-dose regimen for those 65 years and older and those over 18 who have underlying medical conditions or are at greater risk of getting COVID-19 because of their jobs.

The president said he didn't experience any side effects after he got his first dose on live television in December 2020 and his second one in the following month. His booster shot comes nine months after.

Some 60 million Americans fall under the categories approved for the Pfizer vaccine. For those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, scientists are evaluating data to determine whether additional shots are needed.

Biden urged Americans to get their vaccinations, and said that "this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated." He announced travel to Chicago on Wednesday to talk about the importance of vaccinations in businesses.

Biden also said that the United States is doing more than other nations to help underserved nations with vaccinations.

"We have plenty of opportunities to make sure we get everyone in the world and play the largest part in the world of getting everyone vaccinated," he said.