Prior to the holidays and a predicted coronavirus outbreak in the fall and winter, the Biden administration will launch a new campaign on Monday to encourage more Americans to receive updated COVID-19 booster doses.
As per US News, on Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services will launch its “Countdown to Thanksgiving Vax Up America Tour,” which aims to increase vaccination rates prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. The agency will collaborate with national and community-based groups, among others, in order to bring temporary vaccination sites to significant community events.
In a video message initially released by U.S. News, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said, “As we countdown to Thanksgiving, I have one simple message for all Americans: It’s time to get vaccinated, America.” Even though COVID-19 may not be as disruptive as it was when President Biden assumed office, the virus continues to mutate, and the stakes remain high.
In an effort to engage Black communities, the agency and its partners will also distribute COVID-19 immunizations at football games at historically black colleges and institutions. The organization anticipates reaching thousands of Americans at Alcorn State University, the SWAC Championship Game in Jackson, Mississippi, and the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. On the agency’s “We Can Do This” website, a list of upcoming activities will be available.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10% of the U.S. population has had a booster dose. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which target both the omicron variant and the original coronavirus strain, were approved at the end of August and expanded to children as young as five years old in October.
The Biden administration has acknowledged that vaccination uptake is insufficient. President Joe Biden remarked last month as he rolled up his sleeve to receive the shot, “It’s tremendously powerful, but the truth is, not enough people are receiving it.” This must change so that everyone can enjoy a safe and healthy holiday season.
He stated that Americans will decide what type of winter the United States will experience because of COVID-19. Previously, the Biden administration warned that approximately 100 million Americans could contract COVID-19 this fall and winter.
Biden stated, “People will spend more time indoors, and dangerous infections such as COVID will spread substantially more easily.” “As a nation, we must make a decision: Can we recreate the winters of the past? More infections, hospitalizations, family members falling ill, and even dying as a result of the virus? Or can we have a much better one if we employ the resources we currently have?”
There is a gleam of optimism that at least some Americans are catching on. The agency provided more than 5 million booster doses last week, the largest weekly amount since the fall booster program began. However, with only 10 days till Thanksgiving and coronavirus cases already on the rise, time is of the essence to immunize more Americans.
