AARP’s Advocating for You During the Pandemic Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

We re Advocating for You in the Pandemic — and Making Progress

For over a year we ve been focused on keeping you and your loved ones safe and sound

Jo Ann Jenkins Photo by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders It’s encouraging to see how many older Americans have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 7 in 10 people 65-plus are now fully vaccinated, and nearly 60 percent of all adults have received a first dose. And the vast majority of nursing home residents have been vaccinated. Your eagerness to be vaccinated and steadfast adherence to health and safety guidelines such as masking and social distancing have dramatically brought COVID cases and deaths down from their winter peaks. After struggling for more than a year through a pandemic that has sickened nearly 33 million Americans and taken the lives of more than 580,000 — more than 95 percent of whom were age 50-plus — the nation appears to be turning a corner. Vaccinated grandparents are hugging their grandkids again. Workplaces are inviting employees to return to the office. Families are making plans for summer vacations and reunions. And, for the first time in more than a year, nursing home residents are holding hands with loved ones. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Last week brought more good news: Vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or stay 6 feet apart in most cases, according to new federal guidelines. Finally, we can see each other laugh and smile. But we must remain vigilant. Some parts of the country are not progressing as rapidly as others. Tens of thousands of new COVID-19 cases and hundreds of deaths are still reported each week. Vaccine hesitancy among the staff of many long-term care facilities, which have been home to more than a third of COVID-19 deaths, continues to be a challenge. And despite the widespread availability of vaccines, outreach and distribution to Black, Hispanic and Indigenous Americans are still a problem. From the start of the vaccine rollout last year, AARP has strived to be a wise friend and fierce defender for older Americans. We urged federal and state officials to for vaccines. We , calling for in how such facilities handle future outbreaks.
As vaccine supplies increased , who are at the highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID, to be prioritized. AARP pressed lawmakers to make COVID-19 vaccines free to all Americans. Our work is far from over. We continue to call on elected officials to improve equity in vaccine distribution. Black Americans make up more than 12 percent of the population but have received less than 9 percent of COVID-19 shots. We’ve joined with several of the nation’s largest nonprofits to launch a focused on Black Americans. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. . We successfully fought for , for as other Americans and for mandatory reporting of . We continue to connect people with the information and support they need to navigate the pandemic. AARP has published in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including Spanish-language versions. And we’ve shared guidance for working remotely, coping with isolation and caring for loved ones on aarp.org and in our publications, AARP The Magazine and The Bulletin. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > We’ve also hosted nearly 400 tele-town halls, featuring trusted experts answering your questions, including Anthony Fauci and Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health. Our volunteers, meanwhile, have had more than 19,000 conversations with isolated Americans as part of our new Friendly Voice initiative. And we built and launched AARP Community Connections, an online platform that has helped over 600,000 people organize and find mutual-aid groups and access support from trained volunteers in communities nationwide. It’s heartwarming to hear how these efforts are making a difference. “Please keep up the good work,” an online reader recently wrote to us. “We all need clear, sensible advice on how to move forward in this uncertain terrain.” “Since the COVID-19 pandemic I had to stop working and stay mostly at home,” wrote another, who started exercising to our Denise Austin fitness videos each morning. “Thank you, Denise and AARP, for helping me stay fit at home.” We know that our work isn’t finished. COVID-19 continues to spread, and we’re doing all we can to make sure every American who wants a shot can easily get one. The decision is personal, but it has wide-ranging implications. Together we can defeat this virus and continue our return to normalcy. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS