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Changing its vaccine strategy, the White House is moving away from mass vaccination sites and toward community outreach.
WASHINGTON (CN) — As the Delta variant continues to grow among unvaccinated people across the country, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the White House will recalibrate how to get shots in still-hesitant arms.
“We are closer than ever in declaring our independence from this deadly virus,” Biden said in afternoon remarks at the White House. “My administration is doing everything we can to lead a whole of government approach at the federal, state and local levels to defeat the pandemic.”
The White House is beginning to wind down mass vaccination sites, the hallmark of vaccine rollout this spring, and has now centered its focus on administering shots close to home — from trusted sources. The plan includes door-to-door outreach to target communities with lower vaccination rates, as well as administering vaccines at local pharmacies, primary care providers and pediatrician offices.
“There’s a renewed emphasis on family doctors, to the folks that they know and trust the most,” Biden said.
The plan also includes a greater effort to set up vaccination clinics at workplaces and expand mobile clinics.
The administration has already mobilized national organizations, community partners, religious groups and celebrities in its vaccination campaign, with other incentives like free Uber and Lyft rides to vaccination sites and free child care. Meanwhile, states created their own incentives like lotteries, freebies and cash prizes — and private companies have done their own giveaways.
Biden nevertheless just fell short of his goal to fully vaccinate 160 million adults — and partially vaccinate 70% adults — by Independence Day.
Just days after the initial goal now, the U.S. is on track to reach 160 million adults by the end of the week. More than 182 million Americans have received one shot, including nearly 90% of seniors and 70% of adults over the age of 27. As of Tuesday, the vaccination rate for adults 18-24 was still under 50%.
Biden reported at his Covid-19 briefing earlier today that those who have gotten vaccinated underscore the importance of the project: Covid-19 cases and deaths are down by 90%, and the country’s economic growth is the highest it’s been in four decades.
“The bottom line is the virus is on the run and America is coming back, and we are coming back together,” Biden said. “But the fight against the virus is not over.”
Scientists have estimated that 70%-85% of the country needs to be immune in order to reach herd immunity and prevent the virus from spreading any further. The new Delta variant might slow progress to immunity, however, as it is more transmissible and potentially more dangerous — and is quickening the spread of infection in unvaccinated areas. In many parts of the country, the Delta variant is responsible for half of all new cases.
Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines hold up against the Delta variant, while Pfizer has been found to be slightly less effective — though it is still effective in preventing severe illness.
Biden pleaded with unvaccinated Americans to go to their trusted family doctor, pharmacist or pediatrician and get their shot.
“Study after study after study has shown that since early May, virtually every Covid-19 hospitalization and death in the United States has been among the unvaccinated,” Biden said. “You’re putting yourself and your family and friends at risk. Please get vaccinated now.
It works, it’s free, it’s never been earlier, and it’s never been more important.”
The White House will also mobilize Covid-19 Surge Response Teams: a combination of employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who will help communities with low vaccination rates by amping up testing, providing medicines to treat the infected, filling in gaps in staffing, and providing technical experts to investigate outbreaks.
“We have to keep it up until we are finished. We are merging from one of the darkest years in American history to a summer of hope and joy,” Biden said. “It’s a year of hard-fought progress, we can’t get complacent now. Let’s finish the job. Let’s finish together. Please, please, get vaccinated.”
Follow Samantha Hawkins on Twitter.
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