New Resources Available for Vaccine Seekers

To make the search for COVID-19 vaccinations easier and more accurate and accessible, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently rolled out a text messaging service, website and toll-free hotline.

Americans can now text their ZIP code to GETVAX (438829) in English or VACUNA (822862) in Spanish to immediately receive addresses of nearby available vaccination centers. People who prefer a phone call can dial the COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline at 1-800-232-0233 to get the same information.

Another option is vaccines.gov, where vaccine seekers can enter their ZIP code and adjust the search radius to find locations nearest to them. Other options include searching for specific vaccines, such as Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.

As part of the administration’s effort to get 70% of the U.S. adult population with one vaccine shot and 160 million U.S. adults fully vaccinated by July 4, more than $100 million in American Rescue Plan funding will be distributed to approximately 4,600 rural health clinics across the country to support vaccine outreach in rural communities. This funding will be used to assist rural residents in accessing vaccinations as well as education and outreach efforts around the benefits of vaccination. In addition, HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration will expand testing and other COVID-19 prevention services in rural areas.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is a founding member of the COVID-19 Community Corps, a national initiative that seeks to increase vaccine confidence.