Hours after inauguration, Amazon extended their support directly to Biden to assist with the COVID vaccine rollout in a letter. No such letter was sent to Trump.
Mere hours after President Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday, it was announced that Amazon had extended their support directly to Biden to assist with the COVID vaccine rollout.
The letter begins with congratulations for both Biden and Vice President Harris, and goes on to say "as you being your work leading the country out of the COVID-19 crisis, Amazon stands ready to assist you in reaching your goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in the first 100 days of your administration."
While the Trump administration launched Operation Warp Speed, a massive undertaking to get vaccines researched and manufactured, the rollout of these vaccines has been a difficulty.
Dylan Byers of NBC, who broke the news of the Amazon letter, said that "For those asking if similar offer was extended to President Trump... I asked."
Byers said that an "Amazon rep said company was in touch with CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and Dept. of Health and Human Services last month. But no mention of a direct letter to President Trump."
+ For those asking if similar offer was extended to President Trump... I asked. Amazon rep said company was in touch with CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and Dept. of Health and Human Services last month. But no mention of a direct letter to President Trump.
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers)
In its letter to Biden, Amazon then touts its qualifications as the "nation's second largest employer," with "over 800,000 employees in the United States. They say that, as most of their workers are classed as essential workers and cannot work from home, Amazon has a distinct interest in making sure that they are vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Dave Clark, Amazon CEO, Worldwide Consumer, goes on to say that Amazon has "an agreement in place with a licensed third-party occupational health care provider to administer vaccines on-site" at Amazon facilities. Clark writes that they are "prepared to move quickly once vaccines are available.
Additionally, Clark writes that Amazon is "prepared to leverage [their] operations, information technology, and communications capabilities and expertise to assist your administration's vaccination efforts."
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