Supporting COVID-19 vaccination for millions of Americans
The American Nurses Association (ANA), which supports the development, distribution, and administration of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, applauded the Biden Administration’s accomplishment of delivering 200 million doses to eligible Americans. Vaccination of all Americans against COVID-19 is imperative and this milestone demonstrates significant progress in our nation’s recovery from this pandemic.
“The mass distribution and the broader availability of COVID-19 vaccines to millions of Americans is commendable,” said ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN. “This is an encouraging turning point in our nation’s response efforts, but it does not mean that we are in the clear. We all want to get back to some sense of normalcy, but we are not quite there yet. We must stay the course and work together.”
As new cases of the highly contagious COVID-19 variant (B.1.1.7) surge across many communities with an uptick in hospitalizations in some areas, ANA urges the public to remain diligent in practicing the effective and scientifically proven preventive measures—wearing a mask, hand washing, and social distancing. Additionally, the public should continue to stay updated on the spread of COVID-19 in their communities and seek reliable information from public health officials on vaccines, variants, and recommendations for resuming travel and other activities.
“Many Americans remain apprehensive about getting vaccinated against COVID-19,” Grant said. “Consistent efforts to engage with all Americans about the importance of immunization and address concerns about COVID-19 vaccines remain urgent. As trusted voices, I especially urge nurses and healthcare professionals from all walks of life and backgrounds to connect with their patients and communities to help disseminate culturally relevant information and have meaningful conversations to answer questions.”
Providing COVID-19 vaccine education and resources to build vaccine confidence aligns with ANA’s longstanding commitment to immunization as a critical component of public health. ANA has developed key COVID-19 vaccine principles for nurses, created a focused COVID-19 video education series (nursingworld.org/Covid-19-Videos), and collaborated with the Department of Health and Human Services as a founding partner of the COVID-19 Community Corps (wecandothis.hhs.gov/covidcommunitycorps). ANA also works with leading organizations and coalitions such as the Ad Council and Made to Save to deploy dynamic content to reach consumers about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
ANA continues to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a key partner for Project Firstline (nursingworld.org/project-firstline) as well as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and many other entities to ensure nurses’ voices and perspectives are included in critical conversations. All nurses and the public can stay connected and learn more by visiting ANA’s COVID-19 Resource Center (nursingworld.org/coronavirus).
ANA joins Made to Save coalition to address vaccine inequities
ANA has partnered with Made to Save, a new initiative working to save lives
by increasing access to COVID-19 vaccines in communities of color, which have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and continue to confront access and information barriers to the vaccines.
As of March 2021, every state providing racial breakdowns of vaccination rates is reporting racial disparity. This is no accident—but rather the direct result of systemic inequities in our public health system, which have led to worse health outcomes for communities of color. Made to Save will empower community-based organizations to run grassroots outreach programs that increase access to the vaccines and trusted information.
Learn more about Made to Save (madetosave.org) and how you can be part of this work.
