Washington (August 18, 2021) – As COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant are on the rise in the United States, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) commends the Biden Administration for its decision to move forward with booster vaccines for Americans who completed an initial round of vaccination at least eight months ago.
 
On August 10, Senator Markey sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asking for more information about the potential need for booster vaccines. This followed another letter from Senator Markey to the CDC on July 22 urging the agency to increase its monitoring of COVID-19 cases among the fully vaccinated following a COVID-19 outbreak in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
 
 “Vaccines continue to be our best tool for combating COVID-19 and we encourage everyone to make sure they get vaccinated and listen to our scientists and their recommendations,” said Senator Markey. “I am pleased the Biden Administration responded to concerns I raised about the possible need for booster shots, especially for vulnerable groups. This administration continues to demonstrate its commitment to combating this pandemic with science rather than politics, and I applaud them for that.”
 
 “As we continue to combat COVID-19 here at home, we cannot forget that no one is safe until everyone is safe from COVID-19. The risk of mutating variants will continue to serve as a threat to all of humanity if we do not mobilize a swift and robust response that extinguishes this virus from all corners of our globe. That means working with our international partners on efforts to increase global production of COVID-19 vaccines, share pandemic resources, construct minimum infrastructure required to deliver vaccines globally, and coordinate inoculation campaigns aimed at those most vulnerable. We have no time to spare.”