Large pharmaceutical companies have also taken part in the COVID-19 response. At the start of the epidemic’s rise, retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens established COVID-19 testing facilities rapidly, then pivoted to providing free COVID-19 vaccinations. Now, Biden’s White House is working with McDonald’s to update their drink cups so that they include a call for consumers to obtain the free vaccine to help us move forward from this pandemic.
To assist promote vaccine adherence, the newly designed McCafe cups will have stickers with a “We Can Do This” slogan. The phrase, which was developed by the Department of Health and Human Services, is meant to provide encouragement for people to get vaccinated so they can join millions of other Americans who have developed immunity to the lethal virus.
According to a CNN report, the new McDonald’s coffee cup will debut in restaurants this July. The company is expected to produce only a small number of these special cups, just over 50 million.
McDonald’s recent collaboration with the White House follows only days after it was announced that Lyft and Uber would provide free transportation to people who use rideshare services to travel to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
“We all want to protect ourselves and our loved ones and be together with our communities again,” stated Genna Gent, McDonald’s USA vice president for global public policy and government relations. “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.”
In an interview with Fox Business, Gent stated that the McDonald’s collaboration with the White House would aid in the propagation of the pro-vaccination message to approximately 14,000 communities.
According to the CDC, approximately a third of the country’s population, or about 113 million Americans, are completely vaccinated against COVID-19. One hundred fifty-one million people (about 45.6 percent of the population) have received at least one dose of available COVID-19 vaccines.
However, “herd immunity” has not been achieved. According to immune disease specialists like Dr. Anthony Fauci, approximately 70 to 85 percent of Americans will need to get the vaccine in order for the epidemic to be eradicated and laid behind them.
Organizations in both the public and private sectors are looking for innovative strategies to persuade individuals to receive immunization. According to one study, a financial reward may be what some hesitant people need to get a shot in their arm.
McDonald’s new cup design has elicited a lot of criticism among Australian and British readers of the Daily Mail.
“Does Mc D believe its customers are so pathetic as to be influenced by the printing on a disposable beverage container?”
“I guess Mickie Ds is off the menu now,” another person said, “Probably a good thing judging by the size of everyone over there.”
What are your thoughts on McDonald’s urging customers to get the COVID-19 shot by putting a slogan on their coffee cups?
