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Rep. Kelly Leads Letter to Biden Administration Requesting Vaccines for Homebound Population

May 13, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) this week led a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and White House COVID-19 Coordinator Jeff Zients requesting that the Biden Administration prioritize plans to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations to homebound people across the United States.

"Many homebound people live with serious health challenges and are at extremely high risk of grave illness or death if infected with COVID-19," said Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. "While they are not in public, they are exposed through home health providers, family members, and delivery people. We must make sure protecting this vulnerable population is a priority as we continue to develop vaccination plans for the United States."

There are between 2 million and 4.4 million older adults who are homebound. Many of these adults are above the age of 80 with multiple co-morbidities and cannot leave their homes. Congresswoman Kelly and other members have heard from many Americans who meet the criteria for vaccination and want to receive the vaccine but have no way to access vaccination centers due to their homebound status.

Full text of the letter is available here.