{"id":131732,"date":"2021-11-03T19:33:39","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T02:33:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=131732"},"modified":"2021-11-03T19:33:39","modified_gmt":"2021-11-04T02:33:39","slug":"president-biden-on-authorization-of-covid-%e2%81%a019-vaccine-for-children-ages-5-to-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=131732","title":{"rendered":"President Biden on Authorization of COVID-\u206019 Vaccine for Children Ages 5 to 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Good afternoon, folks.  Get my mask here.  Today is a great day for American parents, American families, and American children.  We\u2019ve taken a giant step forward to further accelerate our path out of this pandemic.  After months of rigorous and independent scientific review, the Food and Drug Administration \u2014 the FDA \u2014 authorized and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \u2014 the CDC \u2014 recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OAwqrKMhujE\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For parents all over this country, this is a day of relief and celebration.  After almost 18 months of anxious worrying every time that children \u2014 your child had a sniffle or started to cough, well, you can now protect them from this horrible virus, because that would always worry that it was coming along.<\/p>\n<p>Twenty-eight million more young Americans are now eligible for the protection of a vaccine, and my administration is ready \u2014 we\u2019re ready from day one, today \u2014 organized, and have a plan for this vaccination\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n<p>As soon as next week, we will have enough vaccine in enough places, and parents will be able to schedule appointments to get their kids their first shot. <\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019ve already secured enough vaccine supply for every single child in America ages 5 through 11. <\/p>\n<p>And weeks ago, we asked states and pharmacies to put together their detailed plan to start placing their orders for these specially formulated vaccines for young children. <\/p>\n<p>We started packing and shipping these orders last week, as soon as FDA authorized the vaccine. <\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019ve already sent millions of doses \u2014 excuse me \u2014 (coughs) \u2014 millions of doses, and millions more to come by next week.  These doses will be available at approximately \u2014 excuse me \u2014 (coughs) \u2014 I beg your pardon; I swallowed wrong \u2014 will be available in approximately 20,000 locations around the country.<\/p>\n<p>These include places that parents know and trust: their local pharmacies, their pediatricians, family doctors, and children\u2019s hospitals. <\/p>\n<p>Many of the vaccine sites will offer times on nights and weekends so parents can take their children to get vaccinated after work and after school.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve also been working with governors, mayors, and local school leaders to bring vaccines to schools.<\/p>\n<p>As of today, more than 6,000 school clinics have already been planned in school districts around the country.<\/p>\n<p>These efforts will also ensure equity that \u2014 is the center of our children\u2019s vaccination program, as has been \u2014 as it has been the prac- \u2014 the vaccination program for adults.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re making vaccines available at hundreds of community health centers, rural health clinics, and thousands of pharmacies and schools in our hardest-hit communities.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re sending out mobile units to reach where the people are.<\/p>\n<p>The bottom line is: We\u2019ve been planning and preparing for months to vaccinate our children.<\/p>\n<p>Our program will be ramping up this week and more doses shipped out each day so that we have fully \u2014 we are fully up and running by next week. <\/p>\n<p>Now, I know that many parents have been anxiously waiting for this day, but I also know that some families might have questions.  So, trusted messengers \u2014 like your pediatricians, family doctors \u2014 will be able to answer your questions, talk to parents about the importance of getting their kids vaccinated, and put your mind at ease.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll also be raising awareness and encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated, from our level. <\/p>\n<p>Just when we\u2019ve been doing \u2014 that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been doing since day one of my administration.  And we\u2019re going to do everything we can to make these vaccines easily available and raise awareness of the importance of getting vaccinated.<\/p>\n<p>So, parents of children ages five and older, please get them vaccinated.  Because here\u2019s the deal: Children make up one quarter of the cases in this country.  And while rare, children can get very sick from COVID-19.  And some can end up \u2014 few \u2014 but end up hospitalized.  But they don\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n<p>This vaccine is safe and effective.  So, get your children vaccinated to protect themselves, to protect others, and to stop the spread, and to help us beat this pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Today, I also want to speak to America\u2019s seniors.  While everyone is at risk of getting COVID-19, the evidence is overwhelming that older Americans are still, by far, the most vulnerable to getting the sickest.<\/p>\n<p>And boosters \u2014 boosters add an important layer of protection.  Booster shots are free and effective, and every senior should get one.  It\u2019s important.<\/p>\n<p>Seniors are eligible to get your booster shot six months after you\u2019ve been fully vaccinated.  So, six months.  If you got your second shot before May the 1st, you are eligible to get the booster right now.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019ve made it clear: We have ample supply of boosters.<\/p>\n<p>And thanks to our planning and preparation, our booster program is off to a very strong start.  Over 20 million Americans have now received a booster.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, in just six weeks, we\u2019ve already gotten boosters to about half the eligible seniors who received the Pfizer vaccine.  Nearly half of the eligible seniors in just six weeks. <\/p>\n<p>It took nearly 11 weeks to get half of all seniors their first shot for that \u2014 when that program was launched back in December of 2020, just during the prior administration.  So, as a \u2014 this is a strong pace. <\/p>\n<p>To our seniors: If you\u2019re eligible, get your booster now. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll conclude with this: Vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 and boosters [to] provide additional protection for seniors and others are two major steps forward that are going to accelerate our path out of this pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>And this brings \u2014 and this brings me to where we are and where we\u2019re going to go from here: Since early September, cases and hospitalizations are down now more than 50 percent.  And over the past two weeks, cases and hospitalizations are falling in approximately 40 states.<\/p>\n<p>A year ago, we had no vaccines.  Just this week, we hit an important milestone: 80 percent of adults have at least one shot.  That\u2019s four out of every five adults.<\/p>\n<p>And for our seniors, over 95 percent have gotten at least one shot. <\/p>\n<p>Overall, 193 million Americans are fully vaccinated, up from just 2 million the day I was sworn in.  Over 20 million have enhanced protections from boosters.  And we\u2019re now down from 100 [million] to about 60 million unvaccinated Americans 12 years and older.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019m proud to say, Black and brown adults and Native Americans have gotten vaccinated at the same rate as white adults. <\/p>\n<p>And one more thing.  Our vaccination program is not only helping to save lives and beat the pandemic, it\u2019s helping our economy recovery and helping us grow.<\/p>\n<p>In the three months before I came to office, the economy was stagnant and creating only 60,000 jobs a month.<\/p>\n<p>Since I\u2019ve taken office, it\u2019s now averaging 600,000 new jobs every month.  That\u2019s the average.<\/p>\n<p>And one more thing.  Vaccinating our children will help us keep our schools open \u2014 keep our kids in the classroom, learning and socializing with their classmates and teachers. <\/p>\n<p>I think every reporter in this room who has a child understands the difference of a child going to school and having to learn from home.  It matters.  It matters in terms of their not just physical health, their mental health.<\/p>\n<p>You know, during this pandemic, we\u2019ve seen just how important being in school is for our families and for our country.<\/p>\n<p>A year ago, we were heading into a Thanksgiving where public health were \u2014 experts were advising against traveling or gathering with family and friends.   <\/p>\n<p>Last Thanksgiving, for the first time, it was just four of us \u2014 my wife and I, our daughter and her \u2014 and my son-in-law.  Later this month, our tables and our hearts are going to be filled, thanks to the vaccines.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve made incredible progress over these past nine months, but we have to keep going.  The pandemic is not yes [sic] behind us \u2014 yet behind us, but we\u2019re getting there.<\/p>\n<p>So, please \u2014 please do your part.  If you know someone who is not vaccinated, encourage them to get vaccinated. <\/p>\n<p>And folks \u2014 folks who haven\u2019t gotten vaccinated yet, please get vaccinated.  It\u2019s easy.  It\u2019s accessible.  And it\u2019s free.  Get vaccinated.  You can do this.<\/p>\n<p>May God bless you all. <\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019ll take a few questions.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, on the outcome on Virginia \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, a quick one \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I\u2019ll start all the way at the end.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  Appreciate it.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, you\u2019re not all the way at the end, but that\u2019s okay.  You\u2019re up.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Q    As leader of the Democratic Party, how much responsibility do you take for the dismal results in Virginia and beyond last night?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, look, yesterday reminded me of \u2014 that one of the scared rights we have is to be able to go out and cast our votes.  And remember that we all have an obligation to accept the legitimacy of these elections. <\/p>\n<p>I was talking to Terry to congratulate him today.  He got 600,000 more votes than any Democrat ever has gotten.  We brought out every Democrat about there was.  More votes than ever has been cast for a Democratic incumbent \u2014 I mean, not incumbent \u2014 a Democrat running for governor.  And no governor in Virginia has ever won when he is of the same \u2014 where he or she is the same party as the sitting President.<\/p>\n<p>What I do know is \u2014 I do know that people want us to get things done.  They want us to get things done.  And that\u2019s why I\u2019m continuing to push very hard for the Democratic Party to move along and pass my infrastructure bill and my Build Back Better bill. <\/p>\n<p>I think if we \u2014 look, think about what we \u2014 what we\u2019re talking about here.  People are upset and uncertain about a lot of things \u2014 from COVID, to school, to jobs, to a whole range of things, and the cost of a gallon of gasoline. <\/p>\n<p>And so, if I\u2019m able to pass \u2014 sign into law my Build Back Better initiative, I\u2019m in a position where you\u2019re going to see a lot of those things ameliorated quickly and swiftly.  And so that has to be done.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President \u2014 Mr. President, given what you\u2019ve said, do you take some responsibility?  And do you think that Terry McAuliffe would have won if your agenda had passed before Election Day?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think we should have \u2014 it should have passed before Election Day.  But I\u2019m not sure that I would be able to have changed the number of very conservative folks who turned out in the red districts who were Trump voters.  But maybe.  Maybe.<\/p>\n<p>Q    You won the state by 10 points, Mr. President. <\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  No, I \u2014 I know we did.  But I \u2014 we also \u2014 I was running against Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  I have a \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    What should Democrats possibly do differently to avoid similar losses in November, especially as Republicans are now successfully running on culture-war issues and false claims about critical race theory?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think we should produce for the American people.  Look, one of the things that is important to understand: If \u2014 if they pass my legislation, we\u2019re going to be able to reduce the price \u2014 people are going to see a reduction in the price of the drugs they \u2014 they have to get because Medicare will be able to negotiate and lower the price of drugs. <\/p>\n<p>If they pass my legislation, you\u2019re going to see that nobody \u2014 and some of you who have children in daycare or children in childcare, you\u2019re paying up to $14,000 a year if you live here.  You will never have to pay that much money if you live in Washington, or wherever you live.  No more than 17 perc- \u2014 7 percent of your income.  They\u2019re going to see that, you know, they\u2019ll get tax breaks \u2014 I mean, genuine tax breaks. <\/p>\n<p>[A cellphone rings.]<\/p>\n<p>If that\u2019s Trump, then tell him I\u2019m busy.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Q    But, Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  That was bad \u2014 bad joke.<\/p>\n<p>But anyway, but the \u2014 but the point is that, you know, we have to move and make it clear that what we\u2019ve done is increasing their \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Look, people \u2014 people need a little breathing room.  They\u2019re overwhelmed.  And what happened was \u2014 I think we have to just produce results for them to change their standard of living and give them a little more breathing room.<\/p>\n<p>Q    My question is \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    Can you just \u2014 what\u2019s your message, though, for Democratic voters, especially Black voters who see Republicans running on race, education \u2014 lying about critical race theory \u2014 and they\u2019re worried that Democrats don\u2019t have an effective way to push back on that?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think that the whole answer is just to speak the truth, lay out where we are. <\/p>\n<p>Look, I\u2019m convinced that if you look at everything from my view on criminal justice system, to my view on equal opportunity, to my view on economic issues, and all the things that I have and what I\u2019ve been pushing in legislation \u2014 each of the elements are overwhelmingly popular.  We have to speak to them though.  We have to speak them and explain them. <\/p>\n<p>Look, I just think people are at a point \u2014 and it\u2019s understandable \u2014 where there\u2019s a whole lot of confusion.  Everything from, \u201cAre you going to ever get COVID under control?\u201d; to \u201cAre my kids going to be in school?  Are they going to be able to stay in school?\u201d; to \u201cWhether or not I\u2019m going to get a tax break that allows me to be able to pay for the needs of my kids and my family?\u201d <\/p>\n<p>And they\u2019re all things that we\u2019re \u2014 that we\u2019re going to \u2014 that I\u2019m running on \u2014 that we\u2019ll run on.  And I think we\u2019ll do fine. <\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, right here.  Right here, Mr. President.  Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  This ought to be good.<\/p>\n<p>Q    I think so, too. <\/p>\n<p>About the way forward, Mr. President: As you were leaving for your overseas trip, there were reports that were surfacing that your administration is planning to pay illegal immigrants who are separated from their families at the border up to $450,000 each, possibly a million dollars per family.  Do you think that that might incentivize more people to come over illegally?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  If you guys keep sending that garbage out, yeah.  But it\u2019s not true. <\/p>\n<p>Q    So, this is a garbage report?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah. <\/p>\n<p>Q    Okay.  So, you \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Four hundred and fifty \u2014 four hundred and fifty dollars per person.  Is that what you\u2019re saying? <\/p>\n<p>Q    That was separated from a family member at the border under the last administration.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  That\u2019s not going to happen.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Okay.  And then just a follow-up, because you mentioned Trump a couple times.  When you went to try to help Terry McAuliffe in \u2014 a couple weeks ago, before you left, you mentioned Trump 24 times.  Do you still think that voters really want to hear you talking about Trump more than the issues affecting them every day?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT: Well, the reason I mentioned Trump \u2014 I didn\u2019t count the times \u2014 is because the issues he supports are affecting their lives every day and they\u2019re a negative impact on their lives, in my view.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you all very much.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Good afternoon, folks. Get my mask here. Today is a great day for American parents, American families, and American children. We\u2019ve taken a giant step forward to further accelerate our path out of this pandemic. After months of rigorous and independent scientific review, the Food and Drug Administration \u2014 the FDA \u2014 authorized and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":131733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-131732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Chrome-Legacy-Window-1132021-73002-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=131732"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":131734,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131732\/revisions\/131734"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/131733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=131732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=131732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=131732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}