WASHINGTON—AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer Nancy A. LeaMond issued the following statement in response to today’s hearing in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on COVID-19 vaccines: 

“It’s been nearly a year since COVID-19 altered life as we knew it. We’ve been isolated from loved ones – and too many have lost family, friends, jobs and life savings. Older Americans have been severely impacted. More than 95% of the 440,000 plus deaths have been among those age 50 and older. And the loss of more than 153,000 lives in nursing homes is a national disgrace.

“We’ve been waiting for vaccines to help stop the disease and restore our way of life. But they only work if we get them into peoples’ arms. The roll out must be dramatically improved. We commend the announcement by the Biden Administration for taking action to get existing vaccines out faster to states and launch partnerships with pharmacies to distribute and deliver available vaccines as soon as possible. However, federal and state officials must act now to make the process easier and more efficient. That means having accurate, easy-to-use processes for getting vaccinated – giving people the ability to register on- or off-line and ways to get their questions answered. There should be no confusion and clear accountability. Those most at-risk – people 50-plus – must be prioritized for vaccinations in every state.

“The vaccine supply is still limited and not meeting the demand or need. We must keep the pressure on to increase production and improve the efficiency for how they are distributed and administered. There’s no time to waste.”

AARP’s full letter to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is available at: https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/politics/advocacy/2021/02/2321-aarp-letter-to-ec-health-sub-on-vaccine-hearing.pdf

AARP’s state-by-state COVID-19 vaccine information is available at: www.aarp.org/vaccineinfo  
 

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About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media.​