Dr. Jha Urges COVID Boosters to Make Holidays Safer

Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House's COVID-19 coordinator, said Sunday next weekend's holiday gatherings will be safer if people get their updated vaccinations, and that the growing numbers of hospitalizations and cases since Thanksgiving have not come as a surprise.

"We can prevent those infections from turning into a serious illness if people go out and get that updated bivalent vaccine," Jha said on ABC's "This Week," while commenting on a reported rise of COVID-19 cases of more than 40%. "The updated vaccine is essential for keeping people out of the hospital. So we're making the case that we're at a point where it's safe to gather, but you still have things to do."

The doctor said that many people are confused about whether they need a vaccine, but stressed that it is "essential" to get the updated vaccine "if you've not gotten a vaccine in the last six months."

The current increase comes, though, as the virus has shown growth during the past two winters, said Jha.

"In colder, drier air, the virus spreads more efficiently," he said. "People are gathering, as they should and so that combination is what's driving the increase. The good news here is that we can prevent those infections from turning into serious illnesses."

The administration, he added, is focused on a comprehensive strategy of testing, treatments, and vaccines, and it is "our job is to make sure those things are widely available and accessible."

The focus is on older Americans, who are the ones who tend to end up in hospitals, he added.

"This is ongoing work," said Jha, noting that it's also important for local governments and religious leaders to become involved."

"If we're going to get a country as big and diverse as ours through this difficult period, we're all going to have to pull on this," said Jha.

Meanwhile, Jha said there are "spot outages" of medications such as amoxicillin, even though the manufacturing and supply are good, because of unprecedented demand in some areas where a trio of viruses, COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, are circulating, with the latter particularly hitting children.

"We've seen RSV peak and come down and my hope with that, demand will ease up a little bit," he said.

The doctor also on Sunday discussed the dire predictions that are coming out of China that 1 million to 2 million people could die as COVID grows while regulations ease.

"We're obviously tracking what's happening in China very, very closely," said Jha. "We've been clear that we're ready to help any country in the world that needs it with vaccines, treatments, whatever else is necessary, so that offer stands for every country in the world."