Biden to urge Americans to get vaccinated as Christmas nears

By JOSH BOAK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to stress in an upcoming speech the importance of getting vaccinated to protect from a wave of COVID-19 infections tied to the new omicron variant as Christmas approaches. The world is confronting the prospect of a second straight holiday season with COVID-19. Scientists don’t yet know whether omicron causes more serious disease, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protections against severe illness and death. Biden’s top medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says Biden will issue “a stark warning of what the winter will look like” for unvaccinated Americans when he speaks on Tuesday.