WASHINGTON (AP) 7-21-22 — President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, making him the second U.S. president to get the virus and underscoring the extent to which the virus has infiltrated American society. The 79-year-old Biden is fully vaccinated after getting two initial doses of the coronavirus vaccine and two boosters since. When a fully vaccinated person experiences a breakthrough infection, the chance of severe illness or death is low. The announcement highlights the unpredictable nature of a virus that has now infected numerous world leaders, despite an urgent global vaccination drive and feverish efforts at containment.

Government advisers say U.S. adults who haven’t gotten any COVID-19 shots yet should consider a new option from Novavax. The protein based shot is a more traditional kind of vaccine than the three brands available in the U.S. Federal regulators authorized the two-dose vaccine last week for adults but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must endorse them before shots begin. A CDC advisory panel unanimously recommended the option on Tuesday and final action will come from the agency’s director. The Maryland-based company hopes the U.S. also clears booster doses and teen use fairly soon.