With a little over a month to go until Independence Day, President Joe Biden’s White House on Wednesday unveiled a series of nationwide programs to encourage those who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get their jab.
The programs come as the United States inches towards Biden’s goal of 70% of adult Americans having received at least one shot by July 4.
Currently, a little over 62% — or nearly 162 million — adults have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab.
Here are some of the programs and incentives you can expect to see over the course of the next month:
Four of the nation’s largest childcare organizations teamed up with the White House to offer free childcare to parents and guardians, under certain conditions.
Parents with access to Bright Horizons Back-up Care through their employer can book free childcare for their first and second vaccine doses and any recovery time through July 4
New and currently enrolled families can reserve a free weekday of care for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years for each vaccine dose through July 2
Select locations will offer free Saturday reservations through June 30
Select YMCAs in 500 communities across 38 states will offer free, drop-in child care for parents and caregivers through July 4
Check your local YMCA for more up-to-date information
- New and currently enrolled families can book a free day of care for each vaccine dose, with two free days for recovery time
- The offer is subject to local availability, and does no include walk-in appointments
The White House is partnering with local organizations to host community events that will raise awareness for vaccine efficacy and availability.
Over 100 organizations have agreed to host nearly 1,000 events for the “We Can Do This” public education campaign. Volunteers will participate in activities like calling or sending texts to people in areas with low vaccination rates, and walking around in neighborhoods close to clinics where people can get vaccinated on the spot.
Biden is calling on all Americans to take at least five actions to help educate their community, saying that “some volunteers may be invited to visit the White House in July.”
Vice President Harris will participate in a nationwide speaking tour that aims to “highlight the ease of getting vaccinated, encourage vaccinations, and energize and mobilize grassroots vaccine education and outreach efforts,” per the White House.
The White House did not announce specific tour dates or locations for the vice president, but said her travel would be “anchored in the South.”
First lady Dr. Jill Biden, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and as-yet-unannounced members of Biden’s Cabinet will also participate in the tour.
The White House and the U.S. Conference of Mayors are partnering up for the “Mayors Challenge to Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations,” a competition to see which city can ramp up its vaccination rates the most by the July 4 deadline.
So far, 54 mayors have signed on to the challenge, including Atlanta’s Keisha Lance Bottoms and Washington, D.C.’s Muriel Bowser. The local leaders are expected to create new community-wide initiatives and programs in order to boost vaccination.
In an effort to reach younger Americans, the White House launched the “COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge.”
Participating schools are asked to focus on three key objectives: Providing vaccine education to every student, faculty, and staff member; implementing a plan to get as many members of the college community vaccinated and making vaccines as widely available as possible.
Over 200 colleges and universities across 43 states have already signed on to the challenge.
The White House will partner with the University of Maryland Center for Health Equity, the Black Coalition Against COVID and SheaMoisture to support local vaccine outreach efforts at Black-owned barbershops throughout the month of June.
Each participating shop will promote educational material about the vaccines and host on-site vaccination events.
The initiative will kick off with an informational Zoom call on Wednesday, June 2.
For months, dozens of independent companies have offered incentives to patrons and employees alike who get their coronavirus vaccine.
That’s nothing new — but as of Wednesday morning, Americans can visit a government website for a complete list of organizations giving out support to help people get their vaccine, rewards for vaccinated people, and employee-specific programs from various companies.
It’s the first time that the federal government has offered a comprehensive platform for Americans to search private sector actions in support of the vaccination effort.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that the site is for “informational purposes only,” and they cannot guarantee the availability of the incentives listed.
The White House says it will continue to work with businesses to facilitate more programs, which will be added to the site as they become available.
Some of the more popular incentives include Anheuser-Busch’s recent announcement that they give drinking-age adults a free beer if the U.S. meets Biden’s 70% goal, a sweepstakes from United Airlines where vaccinated passengers can enter to win free flights and opportunities to get free tickets to Major League Baseball games.