Vaccines - Local Action Tracker
The city examples highlighted below are from the National League of Cities COVID-19: Local Action Tracker. Visit this page to see more examples related to vaccinations, American Rescue Plan Act plans and other city actions. Let us know what your city is doing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic using the this form .
Click on the dots on the map to learn more about how cities are encouraging vaccinations. The bottom left corner of the map has a legend button for more details.
Winter 2021
The first COVID-19 vaccines were distributed in the U.S. on December 14, 2020. Demand greatly outweighed supply, leading to states creating restrictions and guidelines to ensure that the people who needed the vaccine most received it first. Once supply increased, many cities began mass vaccination efforts. This involved outreach to at-risk communities and incentive programs.
Member Highlights:
Spring 2021
As demand began to decrease, many cities closed mass vaccination sites and shifted their focus to targeting communities. Early vaccination efforts demonstrated clear inequities in access, leading to low income and minority communities having significantly lower vaccination rates.
NLC contributed to a number of initiatives aimed at improving equitable access to the vaccine, including the following:
-- National League of Cities CEO Clarence Anthony has joined other Black executives in launching a nation-wide vaccine equity and education initiative aimed at the Black community ( Washington Post )
-- Promoting Equitable Vaccine Access Through Innovative Transportation Initiatives ( NLC Blog )
Member Highlights
Summer 2021
With the Delta Variant leading to an increase in COVID-19 cases, the White House and Treasury are encouraging local jurisdictions to use American Rescue Plan Funding to incentivize vaccinations.
Cities are using a variety of incentives, including cash, gift cards and lotteries.