Airbnb offers assistance with Biden administration for vaccine distribution



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Airbnb sent a letter to the Biden administration on Friday offering to help distribute the coronavirus vaccine, particularly in rural communities.

The vacation rental company has offered to identify homes that could be used as vaccine distribution sites in communities with limited access to healthcare facilities as deployment efforts continue nationwide.

“These Airbnb ‘vaccine depots’ could be available in places where there are few or no health care facilities or pharmacies, so called ‘health care deserts’,” wrote Christopher Lehane, Airbnb senior vice president for global policy and communications.

In addition, the company offered to accommodate workers who traveled to distribute vaccines if they needed housing assistance.

The letter did not specify whether Airbnb’s “vaccine depots” or the homes used to accommodate workers distributing the vaccine would be offered at free or discounted rates.

A White House spokesperson was not immediately available for comment in response to Airbnb’s letter.

The offer follows Airbnb’s efforts launched last year as part of its Frontline Stays program to allow hosts to open their homes to frontline healthcare workers responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The program allows health workers to stay in Airbnb spots closer to their work and away from family members at home, at free or reduced rates.

President Biden on Thursday unveiled his administration’s strategy to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The plan aims to immunize 100 million Americans in the first 100 days of his tenure.

Earlier this week, Amazon sent a letter to Biden, on the first day of his tenure, also offering to help the new administration with the distribution of its coronavirus vaccine. The e-commerce giant has offered to help by leveraging Amazon’s operations, information technology and communications capabilities

Amazon also once again urged the government to prioritize critical company workers in warehouses and data centers when deploying vaccines.



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