Biden administration says it will spend $10 billion to boost coronavirus vaccine access in under-served areas

The Biden administration says it will spend $10 billion to expand coronavirus vaccine access and education in rural and other underserved communities nationwide.

The American Rescue Plan, which Biden introduced yesterday, will provide $6 billion to expand vaccinations, testing and treatment in community health centers. "The administration said the Health Resources and Services Administration would provide funding to nearly 1,400 centers across the country. The centers serve one in five people in rural communities," Liz Carey reports for The Daily Yonder. "More than $3 billion will be awarded to local communities to increase the number of people who will take the vaccine. Those awards will go directly to states and territories, so that they can support local health departments and community-based organizations launching new initiatives to increase vaccine acceptance."

The administration will also spend $330 million to support community health-care workers. "That funding, the administration said, could be used to address the disparities in access to Covid-19 related services, like testing, and contact tracing," Carey reports. "The money could also be used to address factors that increase risk of severe Covid-19 illness like chronic diseases, pregnancy and food insecurity. The administration said it was also working with dialysis clinics to provide vaccinations to their patients."