Calling for Action on COVID-19 Funding

Health Care Voices Founder Laura Packard Calls for Action on COVID-19 Funding

Ahead of the People’s COVID-19 Summit, Laura Packard urges Congress to approve COVID-19 funding

DENVER — Next week, Health Care Voices Founder Laura Packard, alongside fellow COVID-19 storytellers, is participating in The People’s COVID-19 Summit hosted by End Covid Now. The event intends to drive home the point that the pandemic is not over and shed light on the consequences should Congress fail to act.

Health Care Voices Founder Laura Packard issued the following statement: 

“In the past month, even as cases remain in the tens of thousands each day and the death count approaches one million in the U.S., we have seen almost all COVID-19 restrictions ease, including the federal mask mandate on public transportation. However, two years into the pandemic, we should know that lower case numbers does not mean the pandemic is over. People with pre-existing conditions and people unable to be vaccinated or generate a vaccine response are especially vulnerable. This means that rather than pretend we are at the end, we must use this moment to prepare for future variants.”

“Globally, millions of people across the globe still lack access to life-saving vaccines, and as long as this vaccine inequity exists, the risk of a new variant and another surge is imminent. When that happens, those of us at home who are immunocompromised will be at the highest risk of serious illness. We urge Congress to act now and approve additional COVID-19 funding that prioritizes support for global vaccination efforts and production of life-saving treatments for immunocompromised individuals at home.”

“It has been a long two years, and securing this funding is the first step in establishing the global immunity we need to end variants and protect Americans’ health. What we do now means the difference between life and death for millions.”