The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that at least one million people in the United States have received an unauthorized COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. The state of Florida has reportedly distributed the most booster shots while Tennessee, Ohio, California and Illinois follow closely behind. Some physicians have encouraged patients with severely compromised immune systems to receive the third shot, but the CDC and Food and Drug Administration have issued a joint statement encouraging everyday Americans not to get a third shot.
"Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time," the joint statement reads.
"People who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe disease and death, including from the variants currently circulating in the country such as Delta."
Also, international health officials are encouraging American doctors not to distribute third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine because the vaccine has not been properly distributed overseas. Approximately 51% of the American population has been fully vaccinated against the virus while only 16% of the world's population has been properly vaccinated.
"I understand the concern of all governments to protect their people from the Delta variant," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the World Health Organization stated.
"But we cannot accept countries that have already used most of the global supply of vaccines using even more of it."
To help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, the White House has announced that America will send more than 800,000 vaccines to nations throughout the Caribbean.
"Today, we are excited to announce our first doses going to CARICOM countries," White House Deputy Press Secretary Kevin Munoz said.
"The US continues to lead on an unprecedented effort to vaccinate the world and every day we are making progress. We need everyone to step up in this fight against the virus."
The White House has also sent more than 25 million vaccines to COVAX, an international distribution system aimed at helping the world's most economically marginalized countries.
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