Harris to get COVID-19 booster shot on Saturday

Vice President Harris will receive her COVID-19 vaccine booster shot on Saturday as the administration urges Americans to get the shot and obtain additional doses if they are at higher risk.

Harris got her first dose of the Moderna vaccine in late December and her second dose one month later. She is eligible for a booster shot given her regular travel and contact with numerous other individuals, putting her at increased risk of exposure to the virus, a White House official said.

Harris will receive the shot on camera in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

President Biden got his booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine in late September. The president was eligible because he is over 65.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently approved booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines for individuals who got their first doses with that shot.

The Biden administration has been urging Americans who are over 65, have an underlying medical condition or have a job that puts them at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 to get a booster shot that offers additional protection against the virus.

Officials have separately encouraged Americans who have yet to get vaccinated to do so, arguing it is the surest way to get the pandemic under control. FDA officials on Friday green lighted the vaccine for kids ages 5-11.