White House: Get new booster by Halloween for safer holidays

By ZEKE MILLER
AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says eligible Americans should get the updated COVID-19 boosters by Halloween to have maximum protection against the coronavirus by Thanksgiving and the holidays, as it warns of a “challenging” virus season ahead. White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Tuesday the U.S. has vaccine and treatment tools to largely eliminate serious illness and death from the virus. But he stressed that’s only if people do their part. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only about 11.5 million Americans have received the updated shots so far, but if more people get them it could save hundreds of lives each day by winter.