Former First Lady Michelle Obama is again joining the chorus of those encouraging Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19. During an interview that aired on CBS this week, she added that the Obamas themselves are staying away from gathering in person with those who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated. At present, COVID-19 vaccines are available to all adult Americans in every state, although exact procedures for procuring the shots vary in some capacity from place to place.
Michelle Obama to CBS: "You wanna hang out with us? Get your vaccine. Get all of it. Finish it up. And then we can talk. So I urge everybody out there within the sound of our voices, please, please get the vaccine. It's time."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 10, 2021
As the former First Lady put it:
‘You wanna hang out with us? Get your vaccine. Get all of it. Finish it up. And then we can talk. So I urge everybody out there within the sound of our voices, please, please get the vaccine. It’s time.’
Asked about the hesitation that some Americans have towards the vaccine, she added as follows:
‘All I can say is that I have tried to live a life where I don’t lie to people, and the science behind a vaccine is the same science that’s behind aspirin and insulin.’
The former First Lady and former President Barack Obama have participated in an ad production alongside all other living former Presidents and First Ladies — except the Trumps — that encouraged vaccinations among Americans. The video ad showed images of each of the public figures involved getting their shots, and that selection of footage was released alongside another clip featuring former Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, who appeared to have taped the message while in D.C. for Joe Biden’s inauguration in January and were again encouraging vaccinations. Both ads were released by the Ad Council.
The COVID-19 economic relief package that Congress passed earlier this year, which is known as the American Rescue Plan, includes resources for boosting vaccinations among Americans.
Just last week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced “the availability of approximately $250 million to develop and support a community-based workforce who will serve as trusted voices sharing information about vaccines, increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence, and address any barriers to vaccination for individuals living in vulnerable and medically underserved communities,” as they put it in a press release. The money will, in short, support staffing and related costs at community organizations helping connect Americans with COVID-19 vaccines, and the funding is available as a series of grants for which organizations can apply.
