White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said the US is “in a very different and stronger place than it was a year ago”.
However, some people remained uncomfortable.
Michael Stohl, 32, was relieved to receive the Pfizer vaccine last spring, but the spread of Omicron has turned his optimism into fear.
“Even though I’m fully vaccinated at the moment, it doesn’t seem to give me any guarantees,” he said. “It just scares you because they tell you the booster will work, but that’s what they said about the original vaccines. Do I have to get vaccinated every few months? “
He said he booked an appointment for his booster on Thursday morning.
Stohl, who works at the concierge desk of an apartment building in downtown Washington, said his family all live in town, so he’s not traveling for Christmas. However, he is worried about friends and colleagues who will be traveling.
“I just remember how bad everything was last year and it looks like it could be that bad again,” he said.
People in the Netherlands have been partially locked since November to contain an increase caused by the delta. While the number of infections is now declining, this week the government ordered that elementary schools close a week earlier for Christmas in fear of a renewed increase. Authorities also hastened a booster campaign when Executive Prime Minister Mark Rutte cited the UK as an example of how quickly the variant can spread.
