Editor’s Note: The headline has been updated.
President Biden announced plans to mobilize a “door-to-door” effort to get Americans vaccinated amidst a decline in the numbers of people getting inoculated.
The move comes as concerns rise over the ‘Delta variant’ of the coronavirus.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki initially announced the “targeted, community door-to-door outreach” to get Americans vaccinated and an effort to educate them “by ensuring they have the information they need” regarding the safety of the vaccine.
Other White House strategies designed to increase vaccination numbers include efforts to get more vaccines available to primary care doctors, making shots available to employers, and setting up mobile clinics at sports and entertainment venues.
Jen Psaki: We will be going door-to-door to Americans who have not been vaccinated pic.twitter.com/S70VjPojfj
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) July 6, 2021
RELATED: Biden Wants Americans To Keep Wearing Masks Until Everyone Is Vaccinated For COVID
Biden Calls For Door-to-Door Knocking To Get Americans Vaccinated
President Biden reiterated the call for a door-to-door campaign to get Americans vaccinated during remarks to the media on the COVID-19 vaccination program.
The President urged a targeted effort to “literally” knock on doors.
“We need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes, door to door — literally knocking on doors — to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus,” he announced.
Biden also revealed the administration will deploy “COVID-19 Surge Response teams” regarding outbreaks among the unvaccinated.
BIDEN: “We need to go community-by-community, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, and oft times door-to-door, literally knocking on doors” to get people vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/oJ2lG9bqaw
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 6, 2021
RELATED: Rand Paul: Cleveland Clinic Study Shows People Who Already Had COVID Don’t Need Vaccine
Critics Concerned About Targeting Unvaccinated Americans
As you might imagine, critics weren’t enamored with the idea of government officials canvassing their neighborhoods.
“How about don’t knock on my door. You’re not my parents. You’re the government,” tweeted Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX). “Make the vaccine available, and let people be free to choose. Why is that concept so hard for the left?”
Rep. Lauren Boebert pointed out that Americans are free to choose whether or not they get a vaccine.
The government now wants to go door-to-door to convince you to get an “optional” vaccine.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) July 6, 2021
Sean Parnell, Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate, responded simply: “Hell no.”
President Biden’s call for canvassing Americans into getting vaccinated with a ‘door-to-door’ campaign comes as his administration failed to reach his own stated goal of getting 70% of the adult U.S. population vaccinated with at least one shot by Independence Day.
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Approximately 67% have received at least one dose, with numbers slowing steadily.
Whoever suggested that the best way to reach remaining vaccine skeptics was to talk about going door to door should be fired immediately.
It’s the Beto O’Rourke of vaccine outreach. https://t.co/VdvhJIwLl4
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) July 6, 2021
Last month, Republican Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) cited a Cleveland Clinic study that showed there was no difference in COVID-19 re-infection rates among unvaccinated people who were already infected with the illness.
Great news! Cleveland clinic study of 52,238 employees shows unvaccinated people who have had COVID 19 have no difference in re-infection rate than people who had COVID 19 and who took the vaccine.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 8, 2021
“This information frees up millions of doses of vaccines for those not yet infected in places with vaccine shortages like India,” Paul said at the time.
The question becomes, where will the White House be drawing information on who exactly hasn’t been vaccinated or whether or not they even need it based on if they had the illness already.
Will there be a list of people that need to be visited ‘door-to-door’ – or will they visit everybody?
“Please, please get vaccinated. It makes a big difference,” Biden said. “As I said, it’s a patriotic thing to do.”
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