Food & Beverage

McDonald's works with Biden administration to boost vaccine awareness

Want to get an important message across to Americans? Fast food may be the answer.

McDonald's is sending out the word about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Provided)

May 11, 2021

Want to get an important message across to Americans? Fast food may be the answer.

Later this month McDonald's will work with the Biden administration to make access to information on vaccines easier to access for the QSR's millions of daily customers, a news release said.

The initiative kicks off by month's end with the debut of third-party-provided COVID-19 vaccine information on McDonald's Times Square billboard.

Then, in July, McDonald's hot McCafé cups and McDelivery seal stickers will lead customers to vaccines.gov, where they can learn more about protecting themselves from COVID-19 infection and where to find local vaccine appointments. The packaging and ads feature art from the national We Can Do This campaign, setting the campaign's slogan against a map of the United States.

"We all want to protect ourselves and our loved ones and be together with our communities again," Genna Gent, McDonald's USA vice president for Global Public Policy and Government Relations, said in the release. "McDonald's is excited to be doing our part for the people we serve, providing them with simple information that can help keep them safe. This is a team effort — it takes all of us. We're proud to enter this partnership to provide trusted, independently verified information about COVID-19 vaccines to our customers in the nearly 14,000 communities we serve."

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said more than 150 million have been vaccinated and that the initiative will go a long way toward helping those still are seeking vaccinations, according to the release.

"Thanks to McDonalds, people will now be able to get trusted information about vaccines when they grab a cup of coffee or order a meal," Becerra said in the release. "Ending this pandemic requires all of us working together to do our part, including encouraging our friends and family to get vaccinated. This effort will help more people make informed decisions about their health and learn about steps they can take to protect themselves and their communities."

McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with over 39,000 locations in over 100 countries, including nearly 14,000 restaurants in the United States.