Uber CEO & Brown Grad Tells Governors Company Wants Drivers to Get Vaccine Quickly, Easily & Free
Friday, December 11, 2020
Dara Khosrowshahi, the Chief Executive Officer of Uber, sent a letter to Governors this week saying public health experts have said rideshare drivers "should, as frontline workers, receive prioritized access to the vaccine in Phase 1b."
Khosrowshahi, a Brown University graduate, continues by offering assistance in getting the word out about coronavirus vaccines -- and driving people to vaccinations.
CEO Letter
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe following letter was sent on December 10.
Dear Governors,
The past nine months have been among America’s most tragic and challenging in a generation. Developing safe and effective coronavirus vaccines in the same amount of time has been a monumental achievement of science and American ingenuity. Yet distributing vaccines fairly and efficiently will be a massive logistical challenge. I write to you today to offer Uber’s support in making this critical endeavor a success.
As CEO of Uber, I also want to take this opportunity to underscore the importance of protecting the health and safety of the millions of people who have kept our communities running during the pandemic. Public health experts have recognized that rideshare drivers and food delivery people should, as frontline workers, receive prioritized access to the vaccine in Phase 1b.
Over the last nine months, these workers have been a lifeline to their communities. They have transported healthcare workers to hospitals, delivered food to people socially distancing at home, and helped local restaurants stay in business. And while earlier this year Uber committed to funding 10 million free rides and deliveries for healthcare workers, seniors, and people in need, it was ultimately drivers and delivery people who made it happen.
As you finalize your state-level allocation and distribution plans, I encourage you to recognize the essential nature of their work. I want to ensure these individuals can receive immunizations quickly, easily and for free, and I offer Uber’s assistance to you in making that a reality.
Of course, tens of millions more people will need to be immunized in each of the coming months. From the outset of the pandemic, Uber has worked in partnership with state and local governments across the country to support their pandemic response. As you turn your attention
to what we hope is the end stage of this public health emergency, I want you to know that we remain committed to doing our part.
We believe we can use our suite of apps, used by millions of people every day, to disseminate high-quality information about vaccines, rooted in science and the latest public health advice, as we have done with our recent efforts to encourage the wearing of masks. We believe we can help increase awareness of and trust in the COVID-19 vaccine, while encouraging those who are eligible to get vaccinated.
We also believe that we can use our technology to remove transportation barriers faced by individuals who will need to travel to their vaccination appointments, especially those in higher-risk groups and in communities of color, which have borne the disproportionate brunt of this pandemic. This is particularly critical given the importance of ensuring people who receive a first round of the vaccine return for their second and final shot.
My earnest hope is that Uber can continue to be a resource for the people of your state in the coming months. Together, I hope we can use our technology to accelerate the end of this public health crisis and the beginning of the economic recovery to come.
Sincerely,
Dara Khosrowshahi
Chief Executive Officer
Uber Technologies, Inc.
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