McDonald’s New Coffee Cups to Encourage COVID-19 Vaccines

"Partnering with the federal government to promote COVID-19 vaccination, the chain will roll out redesigned hot-coffee cups and delivery-box seal stickers emblazoned with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ “We Can Do This” slogan and directions to vaccines.gov (cup-and-sticker rollout planned for July), and has dedicated its Times Square billboard to vaccine information beginning this month. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra praised the effort, and a CNN source said the government did not pay for the promotion. Proponents point to the company’s massive U.S. reach—nearly 14,000 locations—as a way to meet people where they are, while critics note the mismatch between public-health messaging and an often processed, fried menu as well as the chain’s troubled early-pandemic labor record, including strikes in 20 cities last May over protective gear, paid sick leave, and hazard pay. Supporters argue the outreach matters given slowing vaccination rates and persistent racial, economic, and partisan disparities in uptake." - Rachel Sugar