News and Updates

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: September 14, 2021

Community Corps members:

As members, we want to make sure you have timely and accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccines to share with your family, friends, or neighbors. By encouraging them to get vaccinated, you’ll help protect them – and allow all of us to stay safe as Delta and other variants continue to spread.

That’s why we created a one-stop shop with NEW videos, social media guides, toolkits, posters, and flyers. Visit our shareables page for materials to help you build vaccine confidence and increase COVID-19 vaccination uptake in your communities. 

COVID-19 VACCINES RESOURCES PAGE 

Together, we can do this. Thanks for all you do.

The HHS COVID-19 Community Corps team

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: August 20, 2021

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: August 17, 2021

Community Corps members:

The CDC has released new data on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant people and is recommending all people 12 years of age and older, including pregnant people, get vaccinated against COVID-19.

We’re calling on Community Corps members to help amplify this important topic to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence.

TAKE ACTION: Post on social media to let all people who are pregnant, those who are thinking about becoming pregnant, and those who are breastfeeding to get vaccinated to protect themselves from COVID-19. 

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT IN ENGLISH | SPANISH 

The vaccines are safe and effective, and it has never been more urgent to increase vaccinations as we face the highly transmissible Delta variant and see severe outcomes from COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant people.

For more on COVID-19 vaccines and pregnant people, please visit the CDC website for the latest resources here.

Thanks for all you do.

The HHS COVID-19 Community Corps Team

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: August 6, 2021

Community Corps members:

We’ve officially kicked off the Back to School Week of Action to promote COVID-19 vaccination for students and parents, teachers and school staff, and our communities!

Our mission is to keep each other safe from the COVID-19 virus by promoting vaccines to those who are still unvaccinated, especially as many return to school. Anyone 12 and older is eligible for the vaccine and can find an appointment at vaccines.gov. As trusted messengers, we know that your voices will help reach more people who still need to be protected.

Here are some resources to help with Back to School efforts:

A Back to School toolkit (English and Spanish) for school district leaders, teachers, parent leaders, and school supporters that want to help increase confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in their school. Toolkit includes vaccination clinic guides, resources for parent leader meetings, and more.

Visit our resource hub with materials on how to reach for students, teens, parents, and young adults as health professionals, organizations, and community leaders.

If you’re looking to get involved and take action for the week, you can find ways to participate during August 7 through August 15 here. 

Our efforts to increase vaccination during Back to School will continue as students, parents, and school staff prepare to return to school over the coming weeks. Stay tuned as we release more resources and opportunities to help.

If you’re focused on Back to School and COVID-19 vaccinations, we want to hear from you! Email us at COVIDcommunitycorps@hhs.gov and let us know how you’re helping your neighbors and communities.

Thanks for all you do.

The HHS COVID-19 Community Corps Team

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: July 31, 2021

Community Corps members:

From the COVID-19 virus to the economic crisis that followed, communities across the country continue to face enormous challenges. As advocates, organizers, and leaders, Community Corps members like you are critical to making sure our communities are protected from the virus and have the resources to help navigate financial hardships related to the pandemic.

For renters having trouble paying rent, utilities, or other housing costs – or landlords trying to stay afloat with tenants in this situation – help may be available.

State and local programs are distributing billions of dollars in rental assistance to help renters stay housed during the pandemic. Visit the CFPB’s Rental Assistance Finder to find out what this means for you or details to pass along to those who may need assistance.

Thanks for all you do.

The HHS COVID-19 Community Corps Team

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps – June 30, 2021

Community Corps members:

Tomorrow, July 1 is Trusted Messengers Day – an opportunity to make your voices heard and help reach our communities about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. As a trusted messenger and a key member of the COVID-19 Community Corps, we’re inviting you to take part in tomorrow’s efforts.

We’re asking for you to post the COVID-19 vaccine facts graphics on your social media to spread the word about the safe, effective, no-cost vaccines. Find the Trusted Messengers Day social media toolkit here.

Please forward this email to 5 people to join in our efforts and keep our momentum going.

We’re committed to doing our part to slow the spread and keep each other safe – and we’re grateful to have you on our team.

Thanks for all you do.

The HHS COVID-19 Community Corps Team

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: June 23, 2021

Community Corps Members:

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, staff in nursing homes have been providing ongoing care to our nation’s most vulnerable. It’s on trusted messengers like you to make sure we’re reaching people who need to be protected from the COVID-19 virus.

Building vaccine confidence among Long-Term Care Facility staff and residents is important. That’s why we wanted to pass along useful data, materials, and resources to be able to guide conversations, answer questions, and help get people vaccinated.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Resources: 

• Long-Term Care Community Champions – Voices from the Front Lines Videos: CMS has released videos with long-term care staff who moved from being initially uncertain about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine to accepting it, and encouraging their peers to do the same. The videos are available here:
  • Long-Term Care Community Champions – Video #1
  • Long-Term Care Community Champions – Video #2
  • Long-Term Care Community Champions – Video #3
• COVID-19 Nursing Home Data – As part of CMS’ commitment to protect nursing home residents, nursing homes are now required to report vaccinations of residents and staff.  These data are available on this webpage.
• Fireside Chat Recordings – This webpage holds all CMS COVID-19 partner calls, including CDC/CMS hosted fireside chats answering long-term facility staff questions about COVID-19 vaccination.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Resources:  

• Vaccination Toolkit for Long-Term Care Facilities – This toolkit includes key COVID-19 vaccination information, strategies for initiating discussions about vaccination, and a variety of printable resources to build vaccine confidence among long-term care facility residents and staff.
  • Fact Sheet: Answering Common Long-Term Care Staff Questions about COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Poster: Long-Term Care Facility Staff: Reasons to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Today
  • Sample Letter to Staff About COVID-19 Vaccination
• Ensuring Access to COVID-19 Vaccine in Long-Term Care Facilities – Many long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are offering on-site vaccination for residents and staff. This webpage has more information about how LTCFs can access vaccines, and a list of long-term care pharmacies participating in the  Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.
• #GetVaccinated – This American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) webpage has additional resources to help long-term care staff make informed decisions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Vaccines for COVID-19 | CDC 
  • Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines
  • FAQs about COVID-19 Vaccination

Keeping our communities safe has never been more critical.

Thanks for all you do.
The HHS COVID-19 Community Corps Team

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: June 4, 2021

Community Corps members:

We’ve officially launched the National Vaccine Month of Action, our campaign to reach millions in the next month and get America vaccinated!

Actions are happening across the country and virtually online. Take a moment and find opportunities to participate as early as this weekend.

This is an opportunity to continue our important duty in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Together we can move forward from this challenging year and protect our families, neighbors, and communities.

Please see below for a special message from President Joe Biden about our efforts and how we will make a critical impact on our country.

In just over four months, we have made incredible progress together in our fight against COVID-19 and our efforts to get Americans vaccinated quickly, efficiently, and equitably.  Across the country, COVID-19 cases are down over 90 percent and deaths are down over 85 percent since January 20, 2021. Nearly 170 million Americans have gotten at least one shot, including 63 percent of all adult Americans. Today, more than 52 percent of adult Americans are now fully vaccinated, including nearly 75 percent of seniors.

My Administration has marshaled a whole-of-government response to get shots in arms, but without your strong support on the ground to organize, mobilize, educate, and inspire your community, we never could have come this far.  The light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter each day, and that is a direct result of your leadership. Together, we are not just saving lives—our vaccination efforts are making it possible for Americans to get back to living their lives without fear and with protection against the virus.

Thanks to your work and partnership, the virus is in retreat in states and communities across the Nation.  However, as you know, there are millions of Americans who still need protection against the virus, and there are too many communities that are still at risk because of low vaccination rates. As we look ahead to the summer, we have a real opportunity to ensure that all Americans—in every community—can celebrate our freedom from the virus on July 4th.  But that will only happen if we push even harder toward the home stretch and do everything we can to get even more Americans vaccinated by Independence Day.

In the month leading up to July 4th, we need your leadership, your resolve, and your partnership more than ever. I am counting on you to help us get the job done—all Americans are counting on you.  Please join our grassroots effort over the next month to engage in person-to-person, community-level action by leading canvasses, calls, text banks, or vaccine education events to let every American know how they can get vaccinated. You can sign up at WeCanDoThis.hhs.gov.

Thanks for all you have done to get America vaccinated, save lives, and bring us closer to a brighter day. Keep up the great work, and let’s sprint through this critical month to the Fourth of July together.

Sincerely,
Joe Biden

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: June 2, 2021

Community Corps members,

Big news: We’re kicking off a month-long mobilization effort to get our communities vaccinated by July 4th! Watch President Biden’s address on COVID-19 response and our efforts here.

The National Vaccine Month of Action is a collaborative effort with thousands of national organizations, community-based partners, and everyday people, serving as trusted messengers, listening to people’s concerns, and helping them make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccinations.

We’re coming together this Friday, June 4th at 4pm ET to start off the month strong with Dr. Fauci during our virtual call. RSVP to join the event and get ready for the month ahead >> 

It will take hard work, but our goal is an important one. It’s a full-on sprint to help our families and neighbors get vaccinated. There are plenty of ways to take action near you or virtually. If you’re ready to get started, find opportunities to participate here. 

Thanks for all you do.

The HHS COVID-19 Community Corps Team

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: May 18, 2021

Community Corps members:

Last week, the Pfizer vaccine became available for adolescents 12 through 15 years of age – a big next step in our mission to get America vaccinated and keep us all protected.

Tomorrow, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will host a roundtable discussion for parent-focused trusted messenger groups to uplift the collective efforts already underway to address adolescent and parent vaccine confidence and to ask these groups to commit to efforts in their own networks.

JOIN US: Sign up for the Parents Trusted Messenger Roundtable with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Wednesday, May 19th at 1:45pm ET. 

Have a question about vaccine outreach to parents? Submit your question here for the roundtable event.

The goal of this call is to provide and facilitate knowledge sharing, to activate new trusted messengers and groups in their communities, and to share a call to action for how we’ll overcome this pandemic.

Trusted messenger groups will receive latest scientific and medical updates, toolkits, and resources to support vaccine confidence efforts. The discussion will include parent advocacy groups, educators, bloggers, youth groups, faith leaders, and media groups.

We look forward to you joining this conversation.

The HHS COVID-19 Community Corps Team

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: May 13, 2021

Community Corps members,

Good news: the Pfizer vaccine is now available for adolescents 12 through 15 years of age – a big next step in our mission to get America vaccinated and keep us protected. 

Teenagers over the past year have missed school, sports, prom, concerts, seeing family, hanging out with friends, the list goes on. And parents have seen the toll this pandemic has taken on their kids, missing out on so much of the life of being a teenager.

Everyday, more and more people across the country are rolling up their sleeves to get the vaccine to bring us back to normal and end the pandemic. Now, it’s time for nearly 17 million teens and young adults to get their turn.

Pass it on: Parents who wants to protect their child, now you can. Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you at vaccines.gov or by texting your zip code to 438829. 

It’s normal to have questions, and as members of the COVID-19 Community Corps, YOU are the leaders that we need to make sure your communities have the answers. Here are tools to use as you connect with patients, parents, neighbors, or even on Facebook:

• For parents: COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens 
• For pediatric healthcare professionals: COVID-19 Vaccination Toolkit including materials for parents, FAQs, and more

As always, if you’re hearing other questions or concerns in your community about vaccines, visit our resources page or email us at COVIDCommunityCorps@hhs.gov.

Thanks for all you do.

The HHS COVID-19 Community Corps Team

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: May 5, 2021

Community Corps Friends,
Thanks to many of you who joined us last night for a virtual call with Dr. Vivek Murthy, Andy Slavitt, and Mina Hsiang. It was an important conversation on our work to get America vaccinated using our new tools. If you missed the event, no worries – you can watch it here.

As we work to vaccinate more people and reach those who may still be deciding whether or when to get vaccinated, we want to make the process as convenient and easy on them as possible.

Access to a vaccine should not be an obstacle for someone to get vaccinated. Here are three vaccine tools to bring to your communities right now:

1. Visit vaccines.gov (English) or vacunas.gov (Spanish) to search and find a vaccine near you.
2. Text GETVAX (438829) for English or VACUNA (822862) for Spanish to receive three vaccine sites on your phone within seconds.
3. Call the National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline at 1-800-232-0233 for those who prefer to get information via phone call.

Use these tools as resources for any conversations you’re having with patients, friends, or even family members. You can also remind them that many pharmacies and other vaccination sites are now offering walk-in appointments and that vaccinations are free of cost and do not require ID.

Our goal is for 70% of American adults to receive at least one dose of the vaccine by July 4th. Your leadership is helping this light at the end of the tunnel grow brighter and brighter.

Thanks for all you do.
HHS COVID-19 Community Corps Team

COVID-19 Community Corps – April 30, 2021

Dear Community Corps Members:

It was great to be with many of you at this week’s conversation with Dr. Kizzy Corbett, one of the scientists responsible for developing the mRNA vaccine, now made by Moderna.

Since then, we have continued our march toward protecting America from COVID-19, as we vaccinate millions of people each day. Nearly half of the country has now received at least one dose of vaccine. Children are hugging grandparents, aunties are playing with nieces and nephews, and friends are re-uniting at the dinner table. Hope and possibility are growing in all corners of our country.

Your work in increasing vaccine confidence is not only saving lives, but also contributing to making community life more joyful. This week, the CDC released new guidance on what fully vaccinated people could do without a mask, including eating at outdoor restaurants and having picnics with friends, regardless of their vaccination status. This represents progress. And one more reason to get vaccinated.

Here is our challenge: we have millions more friends, family members, and neighbors who are still unvaccinated. That’s why your role as trusted messengers have never been more critical. For those community members still wondering if they should get vaccinated, the conversation they have with you could be the deciding factor. By acknowledging concerns and responding with information and empathy, you can help save lives and empower people to reclaim their health.

We have heard from Community Corps members that they want additional resources to help with community education. You can find our entire set of toolkits and resources here. 

Here’s what’s included in the new offerings:

• General audience toolkit for having open and healthy conversations about COVID-19
• “COVID-19 Immunity in Our Community” podcast highlighting vaccination stories from experts and community leaders across the country
• Vaccine confidence presentation for Hispanic communities

Ending this pandemic is within our reach. It will take each of us stepping up to protect our families, friends, and communities by helping people get vaccinated. But make no mistake, we can do this together.

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

Dr. Vivek Murthy
U.S. Surgeon General

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

Message to the COVID-19 Community Corps: April 15, 2021

Dear COVID-19 Community Corps Members:

Tuesday night, you and nearly 2,500 fellow trusted messengers joined Dr. Fauci and me to discuss the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine recommended pause. Thank you for being there. Your leadership in sharing the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines with the communities you serve and engage is essential to addressing this pandemic.

I’d like to take a moment to summarize our discussion:

• On Tuesday (4/13), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced they are reviewing data involving a small number of reported cases of a rare and serious type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. FDA and CDC, out of an abundance of caution, recommended a pause in the use of the J&J vaccine as they review this data.
• Based on what we know now, these blood clots are extremely rare. At the time of the announcement, a small number of cases (6) were reported out of the nearly seven (7) million doses of the J&J vaccine administered so far in the United States.
• If you received the J&J vaccine more than three weeks ago, your risk of developing a blood clot is very low. If you got this vaccine within the last three weeks, your risk of developing a blood clot is also very low. That said, you should be on the lookout for possible symptoms of a clot, which the CDC describes, here.
• The news about the J&J vaccine pause does not affect the two other vaccines that are widely used in the United States – Pfizer and Moderna. More than 100 million people in the U.S. have been vaccinated safely with these vaccines over the past several months.

• We are still confident in the overall supply of COVID-19 vaccines for the country. The Administration has secured enough Pfizer and Moderna doses for 300 million Americans and there is more than enough supply to continue the current pace of vaccinations of three (3) million shots per day.
• For people who already have appointments for J&J vaccines, state and federal partners are working to get these appointments rescheduled for a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
• The decision to recommend a pause in administration of the J&J vaccine shows the rigorous steps that the FDA are taking to ensure that the American people have clear and transparent information about the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines. Americans should be confident that even when the occurrence of side effects are extremely rare, as is the case here, the CDC and FDA will take every necessary step to communicate those to the public.
• Yesterday (4/14), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) held a public meeting to review in detail the information we have so far, which you can watch here. The Committee will reconvene as quickly as possible in the next two weeks to review any additional scientific evidence and deliberate further. CDC and FDA will carefully consider the Committee’s recommendations when they are made. I appreciate ACIP convening quickly and experts providing advice that prioritizes safety.
• Here’s the bottom line: The COVID-19 vaccines have already saved lives, and we still have vaccine options that are safe and effective, and Americans should continue to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
• As a resource, more information about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines can always be found here.

I invite you to watch and share these resources with your community:

• SHARE a message I posted last night, here.
• SHARE Dr. Fauci’s video on what people need to know about the J&J vaccine recommended pause. ( Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube).
• SHARE a new Q&A released from the CDC, here.
• SHARE and LISTEN to a replay of FDA/CDC Joint Media Call on the FDA YouTube channel.
• SHARE and FEATURE our COVID-19 Community Corps Members that tweeted about the event yesterday: @Rikoamour, @SheilaKatz1, @_EricCarr, @bhrenton, @mjaeckel

Thank you for your continued partnership in protecting the health of our nation.

We can do this.

Dr. Vivek Murthy
Surgeon General of the United States