Joint Statement in Support of Improved Coordination of COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 14, 2021
“The undersigned organizations representing physicians, medical staff and health care professionals nationwide sent a letter to the Biden Administration urging the federal government to utilize office-based physicians more effectively by providing them direct access to COVID-19 vaccines.
“On behalf of the health care communities we represent, we know that better coordination of vaccine distribution, in partnership with the administration, can reach the unvaccinated, help people overcome vaccine hesitancy, and determine the need for and timing of additional doses for their elderly patients and those with underlying medical conditions. Additionally, the office-based physicians our organization represent are well-equipped to administer COVID-19 vaccines to children, alongside other routine immunizations as soon as they are authorized for patients under age 12. Amid staffing shortages and a surge of COVID-19 patients, office-based physicians can also alleviate the strain on hospital systems.
“As our nation and the rest of the world continues to be threatened by COVID-19, it is imperative that we utilize all available and existing resources to vaccinate the unvaccinated. We call on the federal government to utilize office-based physicians more effectively by providing them with easier access to COVID-19 vaccines.”
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Signatories:
Aledade
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Pediatrics
American College of Physicians
Association of American Indian Physicians
Catalyst Health Network
ChenMed
Elation Health
Everside Health
MDVIP
Medical Group Management Association
National Council of Asian and Pacific Islander Physicians
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Medical Association
One Medical
VillageMD
About the American Academy of Family Physicians
The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 128,300 physicians and medical students. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on impactful care for people of all ages, races and genders across all medical conditions. The AAFP supports every stage of a family physician's career and provides evidence-based resources, advocacy and community to empower family medicine. To learn more, visit aafp.org. For information about health care, medical conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s patient education website, familydoctor.org.