Getting an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine is difficult enough, but for some people this is just the first of many challenges in the process. Many people are not lucky enough to have their own car or live in a city where they can walk to the vaccine appointment. or using public transport (if it is an option they are comfortable with).
And even if they have friends, family, or neighbors who would be happy to drive them to their appointment under normal circumstances, some may politely (and with a lot of guilt) refuse it out of concern about the potential transmission virus.
Now, some people in certain cities who get the vaccine at a Walgreens have another option: take it a free Uber trip at his appointment. This is what you need to know about this new policy.
What you need to know about the program
Although this program was just announced on February 9, in December, Uber had committed up to 10 million free or discounted trips to help people get to their vaccine appointments. Now, they’ve teamed up with Walgreens for part of it, offering people a free trip to Walgreens stores (and their off-site clinics) for the COVID vaccine appointment.
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A trial version of this program is currently available in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and El Paso, Texas, but will eventually be released in other cities and is only applicable for appointments at Walgreens. According to one Uber statement, nearly 80% of the American population lives less than five miles from a Walgreens pharmacy. (Of course, that doesn’t guarantee we’ll have dates there, but it’s kind of an interesting / terrifying fact that we think you might want to know)
Uber and Walgreens also receive help from the Urban National League to help identify areas with the most important transportation barriers to accessing the vaccine.
How To Get A Free Uber Trip Up To Date With The Vaccine
So who can you take advantage of this offer? It’s pretty simple: they’ll let you know. Once you have a confirmed appointment at a Walgreens, if the free trip to Uber is an option, you will too. receive an email expanding the offer to schedule a trip.
It’s still very early and there are many unanswered questions, including whether they also offer a free Uber trip home from an appointment with a vaccine at a Walgreens, but I hope this is part of a larger trend toward ensuring that everyone can get vaccinated.
Lyft recently announced some new tools that people can use to help book trips to and from vaccine appointments for their loved ones, they are not free.