Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine is leading an effort to urging the Biden administration to outline its plans to support the development of next generation COVID-19 vaccines.
According to the CDC, vaccinated people are far less likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-related illnesses, but breakthrough cases are still possible.
In their letter, Kaine and a group of senators are pushing the administration to support the development of vaccines that provide even more durable protection against COVID-19, particularly with the emergence of new variants.
“We appreciate your open and thoughtful comments on the Administration’s efforts to end the pandemic and the critical role the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) serves in developing next generation COVID-19 vaccines that are easier to store, ship, and administer and that may prove more durable than the current authorized and approved vaccines,” said the senators. “We request a briefing to better understand the Administration’s plans to support development of next generation COVID-19 vaccines.”
Next generation COVID-19 vaccines may be universal, offering broad protect against changing variants of the virus, or help reduce the need for follow up booster shots. The letter comes after Kaine pressed administration officials at a Senate hearing on addressing new COVID-19 variants/
In addition to Kaine, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS), Bob Casey (D-PA), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tina Smith (D-MN).
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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