President Joe Biden said Friday he will request greater congressional funding for a new coronavirus vaccine.
Biden, vacationing in Lake Tahoe, told reporters, “I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to the Congress a request for additional funding for a new vaccine that is necessary, that works.”
He continued, “It will likely be recommended that everybody get it no matter whether they’ve gotten it before or not.”
Due to a recent surge of COVID-19 cases in specific places, some U.S. entities have reinstated mask mandates. COVID-19 hospitalizations have also increased in recent weeks, according to data.
Pfizer, Novavax, and Moderna are developing omicron strain XBB.1.5 vaccines. However, virus mutation may require new immunizations.
The Biden administration’s early fiscal year supplementary funding request for Congress did not include COVID-19 immunizations. Instead, the White House requested $40 billion for short-term objectives like Ukraine help, federal disaster money, climate change, and border security.
Biden requested $9 billion from Congress to fight the virus last November, but Congress denied him.