Rep. Cisneros Calls on the Trump Administration to Create COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Representative Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39) joined 60 members of Congress in calling on the Trump Administration to create a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan that prioritizes health equity. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Rep. Cisneros urged the Secretary to take a strategic, public health approach to vaccine distribution that prioritizes those at risk for transmission and dying of the disease, such as essential workers, seniors, individuals with pre-existing conditions, and communities of color. To read the letter, click here. 

“We cannot wait until the vaccine is ready to start thinking about vaccine distribution objectives, or scramble to create plans at the last minute, or simply give them to the highest bidder,” the members wrote in the letter. “We urge you to aggressively and immediately pursue coordinated, strategic efforts based on science and public health expertise that puts individuals most at risk of getting infected and dying from COVID-19 at the forefront of vaccine use. Time is of the essence; these plans need to be ready to implement as soon as the first round of vaccines is available for use, and we need to ensure that those most at risk have access, regardless of where they live or how much money they make.”