Massachusetts Sec. Of State Bill Galvin Proposes National COVID Vaccination Day
BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts Sec. of State William Galvin proposed that there be a "National Vaccination Day" that would maximize the number of people who get their COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to the general public.
Galvin said the recent efforts to turn out record numbers for Election Day show that a similar campaign could ensure widespread vaccination.
"In the same way that voting this year occurred over a period of time, and there was a day by which we all knew to make sure we had voted, I believe it will be important to establish a national day by which we all pledge to get the first dose of the new vaccine, once the vaccines become available to the general public," Galvin said in a statement.
Multiple pharmaceutical companies said they are prepared to distribute their COVID vaccine in the coming months, including Cambridge-based Moderna.
Galvin said that once the vaccines are widely available, a "comprehensive national effort" would help the country achieve herd immunity and end the coronavirus pandemic.
"This is a national crisis and it requires a national effort," Galvin said. "If my experience with the recent election has taught me anything, it is that state and local officials can do extraordinary things if they have a common objective and are operating under the same broad national principles."
