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 American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 130,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine and the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, visit www.aafp.org. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.