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. 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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. 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 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
https://act.moveon.org/go/196581?t=9&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

2. "Summer COVID Surge: Cases Rise In 25 States—But New Vaccines On The Way," Forbes, August 18, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/196582?t=11&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

3. "What the end of the CDC's COVID vaccine access program means for uninsured Americans," ABC News, August 28, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/196581?t=14&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

4. "Coronavirus vaccines, once free, are now pricey for uninsured people," The Washington Post, September 3, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/197560?t=16&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

5. "For the Uninsured, Covid Care Has Entered a New Stage of Crisis," The New York Times, December 6, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/196583?t=18&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

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
https://act.moveon.org/go/196584?t=21&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

7. "New COVID vaccines are here. What to know about the latest shots as summer surge continues," Fortune, September 18, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/196585?t=24&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

8. "This COVID vaccine program offered a ‘bridge’ to uninsured adults, and then the funding crumbled," PBS NewsHour, May 23, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/196586?t=26&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

9. "What the end of the CDC's COVID vaccine access program means for uninsured Americans," ABC News, August 28, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/196581?t=29&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

10. "Coronavirus vaccines, once free, are now pricey for uninsured people," The Washington Post, September 3, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/197560?t=31&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

11. "These benefits will disappear when Biden ends the Covid national and public health emergencies in May," CNN, January 31, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/196587?t=33&akid=407738%2E40999114%2EpKHlHG

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