President Joe Biden began a vaccination mobilization campaign for the month of June that will aim to entice people to get the shots by offering alcohol and food perks as well as free child care services for parents who need time off in order to meet his goal of getting 70% of all adults a coronavirus vaccine by the Fourth of July.
“Each of you has the power to help us gain this freedom as a nation. If you get a shot this week. You can be fully vaccinated … by the week of July the Fourth, and you can celebrate Independence Day free from fear or worry,” Biden said Wednesday.
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The United States is close to fulfilling Biden’s goal, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said that nearly 63% of all U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a vaccine. Just last week, the White House was celebrating its success in getting 50% of all adults a shot.
Biden also renewed calls on employers Wednesday to give workers paid time off to get the shots or recover from some of their temporary adverse effects, which can include chills, fatigue, and fevers. Employers are also encouraged to set up “on-the-job vaccination clinics to make it even more convenient for their employees to get a shot.”
Some of the nation’s largest child care providers, such as KinderCare, Bright Horizons, and hundreds of YMCA locations, have also agreed to team up with the White House to provide free drop-in services for parents who need to get their shots.
Vice President Kamala Harris will also tour vaccination sites across the South and the Midwest this month with first lady Jill Biden. The White House will also engage black-owned barbershops and beauty salons to educate clients about the benefits of getting the vaccines as well as to set up on-site vaccinations at those businesses.
“That's the kind of on-the-ground work that's going to get the job done,” Biden said.
Companies such as Anheuser-Busch, Kroger, and DoorDash have introduced perks for people who can show they’ve been recently vaccinated. Kroger, for example, announced that over the course of five weeks, five people, including the stores' customers and associates, who get the shots in Kroger pharmacies will win $1 million. The supermarket chain will also award free groceries for a year to another 50 people.
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DoorDash has also teamed up with the National Association of Community Health Centers to drive up turnout at vaccination sites. The food delivery service has started awarding vaccine recipients with gift cards for free meals, a perk that DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said he hopes “can help people get a meal delivered from a local restaurant so they can focus on resting after receiving their vaccination.”
