When fall arrives, Americans may find themselves without access to COVID-19 vaccines, according to President Joe Biden.

On Wednesday, Biden warned the U.S. will not be able to guarantee all Americans free COVID vaccines if Congress doesn’t pass the administration’s $22.5 billion additional funding request.

As the U.S. attempts to return to some sense of normalcy, the president insisted Congress needs to pass the funding to provide COVID-19 resources in case there is another spike in cases.

“Americans are back to living their lives again,” Biden said. “We can’t surrender that. Congress please act. You have to act immediately. The consequences of inaction are severe, they will only grow with time.”

Biden’s warning comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved an additional Pfizer and Moderna booster shot for people aged 50 and older as well as those with compromised immune systems.

While there are enough vaccines to ensure that those who are currently eligible will receive the fourth shot for free, circumstances may be different in the fall if the additional funding isn’t approved.

“We do have significant concerns about whether we would have enough vaccine if we were to do a general population boost campaign in the fall, particularly if we’re going to need a variant-specific vaccine,” said Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Health and Human Services Department.

“We don’t have any of those doses, nor do we have any funding for those doses,” she added.

While the battle for further COVID-19 resources continues, Pfizer’s antiviral pill Paxlovid can offer treatment to those infected with the virus but could be dangerous for some.

Although the drug has been described as highly effective, Paxlovid carries dangerous risks if it interacts with many commonly prescribed medications.

Patients struggling with cholesterol, heart conditions, or severe kidney or liver problems should not take the drug to treat COVID.

Experts revealed it is up to doctors to know their patients’ full medical profiles before prescribing the drug.

U.S. President Joe Biden responds to a question about Ukraine during an event to announce his budget proposal for fiscal year 2023, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 28, 2022.
U.S. President Joe Biden responds to a question about Ukraine during an event to announce his budget proposal for fiscal year 2023, in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 28, 2022. Reuters / KEVIN LAMARQUE
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