Message for the COVID-19 Community Corps – April 18, 2021

Dear Community Corps Friends,

I can’t tell you how important it has been to have so many of you partnering with us this past week as we worked to keep the country updated on vaccine developments. All of us joined this effort because we want to turn this pandemic around – and we recognize getting the country vaccinated is the path to accomplishing that.

This week, we are taking a major step toward that goal.

As of tomorrow, Monday, April 19, every person 16 years and older in the United States will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. And 90 percent of adults across the country will live within 5 miles of a COVID-19 vaccination site. As of today, more than 125 million people nationwide – more than 38 percent of the country – have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

Increasing access to vaccines is critical to increasing confidence in vaccines. The more people who see family and friends around them get vaccinated, the more comfortable people may become with getting vaccinated themselves. 

We have made extraordinary progress in helping people get vaccinated thanks to your help. With all adults now being eligible, it is our time to take another big step forward.

Can you help us spread the word so every adult knows they are now eligible, please? You can use our new COVID-19 Community Corps Social Media Toolkit during our digital day of action to spread the word about expanded eligibility.

I also hope you will join me in a virtual conversation about this moment on Monday, April 19, which will be an event for our COVID-19 Community Corps members, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. You can register here . To submit questions for the event please fill out this form here.

And, you can tune in tonight, April 18, to NBC’s new series, “Roll Up Your Sleeves” at 7:00 pm EST to hear President Biden speak about the COVID-19 vaccines.

The COVID-19 vaccines have already saved lives, given families a chance to see one another, and brought us closer to getting back to our lives. And you have been a core part of bringing us to this point. Your voice is helping to inform and empower communities. What we have already accomplished – together – gives me faith that we can complete the task ahead.

We can do this.

Stay safe, be well, take care of each other. 

Dr. Vivek Murthy
Surgeon General of the United States