Late last year we saw the passage of two remarkable milestones in our country: over 300,000 COVID-19 deaths and the administration of the first COVID-19 vaccines. The juxtaposition of a monumental scientific achievement and hope tempered by the unimaginable loss of life is a powerful reminder that this pandemic is not over and we have not yet won. As of early February, more than 20 million Americans have received the first dose of a vaccine, but an additional 150,000 lives have been lost. We can continue to move forward and stem the devastation of the pandemic, but must come together as a nation to do so.
Our Fellows, Members and network of healthcare and public health professionals, as scientific leaders, must play a critical role in this fight. Together we can help build the nation’s trust in science and public health. Vaccine availability will not be enough since we know that vaccine hesitancy is a very real concern, especially for communities of color, for whom mistrust is rooted in legacy of exploitation. And even today, implicit bias and systemic racism continue to contribute to poor health outcomes.
While vaccine hesitancy is decreasing slightly amongst communities of color as seen in the December 2020 KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor study, it is still too high.
In a frightening prophecy, in 2019 the World Health Organization identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 global health threats. As this plays out in current COVID-19 vaccination opinion polls, we implore you in your leadership roles to engage with others in your personal and professional communities as ambassadors for science. It is only when each of us reaches out and puts our voices to work, encouraging our patients, clients, communities, colleagues, friends and family to take the vaccine when it becomes available to them that we will be able to conquer this disease.
We can help to turn this around. We cannot rely solely on public health awareness and education campaigns. While there will be millions of dollars spent on this effort featuring celebrities and other notables, we must not undervalue the role we each can play as credible and trusted messengers. In fact, 85% of adults surveyed indicated they would trust their own doctor or healthcare provider the most in delivering credible information about the vaccine. So, we must keep Informed, know the facts, and convey our trust in the science with data and facts to everyone that we know.
At NYAM, we’re proud to have a network of champions for health equity who are dedicated to building a healthy life for all. Let’s make sure that the milestones of 2021 are ones that will make us proud.
Please take some time to read the latest information below and share resources available from these trusted sources.
Judith A. Salerno, MD, MS
President
Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP
Chair, Board of Trustees
American Medical Association (AMA): COVID-19 & vaccine development
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): COVID-19 Vaccines
Kaiser Family Foundation COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: December 2020
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine (NAM): COVID-19 Responses & Resources
National Institutes of Health (NIH): Learning About Vaccines
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS): COVID-19 Vaccines
U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA): COVID-19 Vaccines
View our COVID-19 Safety Protocols for attending NYAM public events.