The following statement is attributable to:
Gerald E. Harmon, M.D.
President, American Medical Association
“As cases of COVID-19 sharply increase due to the Omicron variant, the nation’s health care system and capacity to deliver care is once again being put under stress. The Biden Administration’s announcement today to deploy additional medical personnel to COVID-burdened hospitals and stand-up new mass vaccination sites across the country will help alleviate some of the burden on the nation’s already overwhelmed health care workforce.
“Physicians and health care professionals throughout the country and around the world continue to see the heartbreaking and deadly toll this virus is having on patients, especially the unvaccinated. We strongly urge every eligible individual who has not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get vaccinated immediately. The Omicron variant is highly contagious and the unvaccinated remain most at risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death if infected. We also encourage everyone to get their booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are eligible as data suggests that a booster dose provides greater protection against the new variant. In addition to getting vaccinated, we must each continue taking the evidence-based public health precautions, such as physical distancing and wearing face masks, that we know work to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”
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About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
