Amazon sent a letter to President Joe Biden in his first few hours in office on Wednesday offering to help his administration distribute the coronavirus vaccine.
Dave Clark, Amazon’s CEO of consumer business, said the company is willing to help by using Amazon’s “operations, information technology, and communications capabilities” to assist Biden with his goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans within his first 100 days in the White House.
“Our scale allows us to make a meaningful impact immediately in the fight against COVID-19, and we stand ready to assist you in this effort,” Clark wrote.
He also said Amazon has an agreement with a licensed third-party occupational health care provider to administer vaccines on-site at its facilities.
“We are prepared to move quickly once vaccines are available,” Clark said.
It is unclear why Amazon waited until Biden took office to make its offer.
Clark wrote a letter last month to the chairman of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, but only to urge the Trump administration to prioritize essential workers, such as Amazon warehouse staffers, in the vaccination process.
Biden’s White House has not said whether it will accept Amazon’s offer.
Biden did, however, announce a new series of coronavirus orders that will go into effect immediately: Americans will be required to wear masks for the next 100 days on federal property, in airports, and on certain modes of transportation.
And international travelers must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to traveling to the U.S.
“For almost a year now, Americans could not look to the federal government for any strategy, let alone a comprehensive approach to respond to COVID. And we’ve seen the tragic costs of that failure. As President Biden steps into office today that, that’ll change tomorrow,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients claimed.
