Lyft leads coalition offering 60 million rides to and from COVID-19 vaccination sites

Doctor explains how COVID-19 vaccines differ from traditional vaccines

Dr. Chin-Hong explains how COVID-19 vaccines differ from traditional vaccines.

Lyft is not in the business of bringing medicine to customers, but they will be taking customers to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

The ride-hailing company is offering 60 million free or discounted rides to and from coronavirus vaccination sites in uninsured, at-risk and low-income communities.

"Making sure people can get to vaccination sites when they need to is mission critical to beating this virus," Lyft Co-Founder and President John Zimmer said in a news release.

According to Lyft 5.8 million Americans delay or miss medical care due to lack of transportation in a typical year.

That’s why they’ve partnered with JPMorgan Chase, Anthem Inc. and United Way to make sure the most marginalized communities aren’t lost in the scramble for the vaccine.

A sign for the Lyft ride share pick up area is seen Aug. 20, 2020 at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

"This is an opportunity to use our collective strength to mobilize on a massive scale and serve our communities. We cannot let lack of transportation be a factor in determining whether people have access to healthcare," Zimmer said.

Lyft is inviting further collaboration with businesses and the public. Corporations and non-profit organizations interested in joining the coalition can contact Lyft at supportlyftup@lyft.com.

The public can contribute by donating a ride through United Way.

Uber, Lyft’s ride-hailing competitor, has made a similar commitment, pledging to provide 10 million free or discounted rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites.

This story was reported from Atlanta.