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White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha urged Americans to consider their vaccination status and get vaccinated if they can, as breakthrough infections continue to rise across the country.
“We’re seeing high rates of reinfection,” Jha said during a pre-taped interview that aired on ABC’s “This Week.” “We’re seeing people who are not up to date on their vaccines have a lot of sudden infections.”
Jha emphasized that the country has developed the tools and infrastructure to provide Americans with vaccines and minimize the impact of the infection — as long as they keep up with their vaccines.
“The protection against serious diseases is still preserved and that is the good news,” he explained. “But we still see some protection against infection, but not as much. That’s the immune-resistant nature of this virus.”
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White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha speaks at the daily press briefing at the White House on June 02, 2022 in Washington, DC. Jha spoke about COVID-19 vaccinations for children and highlighted Pfizer’s recent request for FDA approval for its vaccine for use in children five years of age and younger. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The omicron BA.5 subvariant of COVID-19 emerged as the dominant variant in the US in early July, accounting for more than 53% of cases nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Food and Drug Administration has advised vaccine makers to target the omicron subvariants when developing vaccines for release in the fall — although experts warn that a new variant could emerge by then.
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“We must continue to create new generations of vaccines,” Jha said. “We have to make sure we have adequate treatment. We can get through it, but not if we take our eyes off the ball.”
A doctor giving an injection to create an antibody for the coronavirus (iStock)
“We have to really stay focused,” he continued. “And we are and remain focused on managing that.”
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He went on to urge Americans to get a booster shot if they haven’t received it this year.
According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 is on the rise in 110 countries, with a total of 20% jump attributable to BA.4 and BA.5.
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Since the start of the pandemic, more than 88 million Americans have been infected with the coronavirus, and there have been over a million deaths attributed to the virus.
Fox News’ Julia Musto contributed to this report.
Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.
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