American College of Physicians leaders warn that abrupt changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations could jeopardize payment coverage and place millions of Americans at risk.
In a new commentary published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP, President of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and Darilyn V. Moyer, M.D., MACP, EVP and CEO of ACP discuss lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of making vaccination recommendations based on scientific evidence and the consideration of individual patient situations.
Recent FDA and CDC recommendations that limit who receives the COVID-19 and booster vaccines fail to consider the context of younger, healthy persons who live with, care for, or are in frequent contact with persons at high risk. Because insurance coverage is influenced by official recommendations, these changes jeopardize payment coverage for millions of Americans who could not otherwise afford the vaccine to protect themselves, their families, and fellow citizens.
The authors say that public health recommendations should allow all persons whose circumstances confer benefit not only to them but to those they interact with the choice to receive vaccine and support that choice with insurance coverage. Prior to the 21st century, Americans saw vaccination, such as for polio, as a civic duty and moral imperative, but the politicization of science has disrupted the precarious balance between public good and individual freedom.
The authors emphasize that scientists, clinicians, and policy-makers must be reflective and willing to accept change when new evidence emerges while staying true to the mission of promoting health for all.
