Amazon has offered to help new US President Joe Biden with the country’s Covid-19 vaccination program, promising to use the company’s scale and resources to help with the rollout.
In a letter sent to the new commander-in-chief, Dave Clark, the CEO of Amazon’s worldwide consumer business, promised to help President Biden achieve his goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in the first 100 days of his administration.
“We are prepared to leverage our operations, information technology, and communications capabilities and expertise to assist your administration’s vaccination efforts,” Clark wrote. “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.”
Amazon did not provide concrete details regarding how it could facilitate vaccinations but did state that it was prepared to move quickly once vaccines were available. The firm currently has more than 110 active fulfillment centers in the US, which could potentially be used to aid the vaccination program.
Express delivery
Also included in Clark’s letter was a request for Amazon’s 800,000-plus US workers to receive the vaccination at the earliest possible opportunity. More than 19,000 US Amazon employees have contracted COVID-19, with staff considered key workers throughout the pandemic.
Amazon has faced criticism during the coronavirus crisis with some accusing the firm of failing to protect its workers. The company has now announced that it has an agreement in place with a third-party occupational health care provider to administer vaccines on-site at Amazon facilities when vaccine supplies allow.
For President Biden, tackling the COVID-19 pandemic remains his most pressing task. Businesses everywhere will undoubtedly be keen to offer their support in the hope that some of the economic damage caused by the virus can be undone.
