Coronavirus: ACP makes vaccine recommendations

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has released a series of recommendations aimed at improving COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine provision, distribution, and payment.

According to a news release, the recommendations seek to address the role of physicians as vaccinators and informing they and the public about COVID-19 vaccines. They also enforce the importance of communication and collaboration between physicians and other vaccinators to ensure safety and continuity of care.

The recommendations include:

• Using all appropriately trained, state-licensed clinicians to administer the vaccines
• Urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, vaccine manufacturers, state, and local health departments to distribute all vaccine-related educational materials to all vaccinators including information on adverse effects of the vaccines.
• All vaccinators should coordinate, collaborate, and communicate with the patient’s primary care team to ensure safety and continuity of care.
• Vaccinators should record the administration data within the patient’s medical record and promptly report the vaccination to the state immunization information system or other designated system.
• That insurers be required to provide adequate reimbursement for all vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines.

“A vaccine can only be as effective as our ability to turn them into actual vaccinations given to our patients and the public,” Jacqueline W. Fincher, MD, MACP, president of ACP, says in the release.“A coordinated effort is critical to distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to the public and will require communication, collaboration and information sharing among physicians and other vaccinators.”

These recommendations build on previous guidance provided by the ACP on the ethics of vaccine allocation and support for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations on the use of the COVID-19 vaccines, the release says.