Support for distribution of COVID-19 vaccine for overseas Americans is building

Congress continues to call on the Biden Administration to make vaccines available to Americans living and working overseas.

Congresswoman Lesko of Arizona and several of her colleagues in the House have written to the Biden Administration asking the Administration to provide access to the COVID-19 vaccine for Americans overseas. https://lesko.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2576

“Millions of Americans living abroad have not had the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine either because they cannot travel back to the U.S. easily, or because the nation where they live only allows foreign nationals to receive vaccines after their own citizens,” said Congresswoman Lesko. “American expats contributed to the development and distribution of vaccines through their tax dollars and they should have the opportunity to be vaccinated quickly and efficiently.”

The letter complements efforts in the Senate, led by Senator Murphy and Moran, along with their colleagues in the Senate, who wrote to the Biden Administration and the State Department in August with the same request. Senator Murphy followed up the letter by introducing an amendment to the International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID Response Act (S.2297) calling on the Administration to provide a strategy to vaccinate Americans overseas.

ACA has been speaking with the Senators who co-signed the Senate letter and is speaking with the Representatives who have co-signed the House letter led by Congresswoman Lesko. ACA's campaign calling on the House and the Senate to support vaccine distribution to Americans overseas is helping to bring awareness of the issue in these offices. https://www.americansabroad.org/vaccines-for-americans-abroad/