Every American needs to know they’ll have access to vaccines that reduce
their risk of severe illness and hospitalization, with no costly
out-of-pocket fees.[ [link removed] ]Tell the Biden administration: Bring back comprehensive COVID
protections and guarantee free vaccines for every single American!

Dear MoveOn member,

The good news: A new COVID vaccine is available. The bad news: Federal
funding to guarantee free vaccines has ended, leaving uninsured Americans
to pay up to $200 for a single shot.^1

News of the updated vaccines comes after a serious summer surge—25 states
saw spikes, leading it to be the biggest summer surge since the pandemic
began.^2 

But federal funding has run out for the Bridge Access Program, a key
initiative run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to
bring free COVID vaccines to uninsured Americans.^3

People are already feeling the impacts of this program ending. A woman in
St. Louis was stunned to receive a $201.99 quote for her vaccine
appointment at CVS. She had lost Medicaid benefits when her income rose
and was doubtful she had the funds in her bank account to cover the
vaccine appointment out of pocket.^4

[ [link removed] ]Experts agree: COVID isn't going anywhere—every American needs to know
they'll have access to vaccines that reduce their risk of severe illness
and hospitalization, with no costly out-of-pocket fees. Will you sign our
petition calling on the Biden administration and CDC to extend the Bridge
Access Program?

Uninsured Americans have been disproportionately impacted by COVID
throughout this pandemic, often being left with treatments they can’t
afford or thousands of dollars in medical debt to treat symptoms of long
COVID.^5 Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people are even more likely to be
hospitalized due to COVID complications.^6

We need the federal government to step in and protect our most vulnerable
communities—ensuring once and for all that COVID tests and treatments are
made freely available to everyone.

[ [link removed] ]Will you sign our petition now urging President Biden to ensure that
every American has access to COVID vaccines by extending the Bridge Access
Program?

No American should pay out of pocket for COVID vaccines. Add your name to
urge our government to bring back comprehensive COVID protections and
extend the Bridge Access Program.

[4]Sign the petition

This is a matter of public health. By listening to the science, we know
that vaccines are the most effective thing we can do to protect ourselves
from infection, build immunity, and keep hospitalizations low nationwide.
Our government should be broadening access to vaccines, not making them
harder to obtain.^7

When our government saw a gap in access for testing and vaccines, they
launched federal interventions to help close the gap. And it worked. From
September 2023 to May 2024 alone, more than 800,000 uninsured
people received COVID vaccine doses through the Bridge Access
Program.^8 With COVID infections surging, we need our government to lead
again and extend lifesaving programs that everyday Americans need to
protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities.

Last year, COVID vaccines cost up to $130 per dose—and this year, the cost
could be even higher.^9 Without the federal government stepping in to
cover costs, Americans may face impossible choices between buying
groceries or safeguarding their health. 

A former nonprofit worker in Atlanta tried to receive the COVID vaccine
before helping a friend with cancer move, but she was forced to rely on
other methods such as testing and wearing masks after seeing a whopping
$300 price tag.^10

[ [link removed] ]Sign our petition now to tell the Biden administration: Protect
uninsured Americans and guarantee they can receive vital preventative
care.

Extending the program for free vaccines is just one of many things our
government must do to continue combating COVID. We need federal funding
for increased testing, including increasing the accessibility of PCR tests
at health clinics and distributing free at-home rapid tests. When the
national public health emergency around COVID was ended, the costs of
testing and certain treatments like monoclonal antibodies increased for
everyone.^11 

The COVID pandemic has claimed millions of lives worldwide, with millions
more facing long-term health consequences. [ [link removed] ]But there's real evidence
that vaccines can help prevent hospitalizations and get folks back on
their feet faster. We need the Biden administration to do the right thing
and keep COVID vaccines free and accessible for everyone.

Thanks for all you do.

–Aliya, Allison, Kelly, Mohammad, and the rest of the team

You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you.
It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online
petitions. You can [ [link removed] ]start your own petition here.

Sources:

1. "What the end of the CDC's COVID vaccine access program means for
uninsured Americans," ABC News, August 28, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

2. "Summer COVID Surge: Cases Rise In 25 States—But New Vaccines On The
Way," Forbes, August 18, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

3. "What the end of the CDC's COVID vaccine access program means for
uninsured Americans," ABC News, August 28, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

4. "Coronavirus vaccines, once free, are now pricey for uninsured people,"
The Washington Post, September 3, 2024
[link removed]

5. "For the Uninsured, Covid Care Has Entered a New Stage of Crisis," The
New York Times, December 6, 2022
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

6. "Covid-19 is sending Black, Latino and Native American people to the
hospital at about 4 times the rate of others," CNN, November 16, 2020
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
7. "New COVID vaccines are here. What to know about the latest shots as
summer surge continues," Fortune, September 18, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

8. "This COVID vaccine program offered a ‘bridge’ to uninsured adults, and
then the funding crumbled," PBS NewsHour, May 23, 2024
[link removed]

9. "What the end of the CDC's COVID vaccine access program means for
uninsured Americans," ABC News, August 28, 2024
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

10. "Coronavirus vaccines, once free, are now pricey for uninsured
people," The Washington Post, September 3, 2024
[link removed]

11. "These benefits will disappear when Biden ends the Covid national and
public health emergencies in May," CNN, January 31, 2023
[ [link removed] ][link removed]

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