COVID-19 vaccine requirements: Why U.S. doctors are fighting for them – American Medical Association

With federal health officials warning that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is already spreading quickly in the U.S. and is likely to peak with a huge caseload in January, American doctors are redoubling their support for COVID-19 vaccinationand vaccine requirementsas the best way to save lives and keep patients out of the hospital.

The scientific experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that booster doses can effectively fight the Omicron variant, which now has joined the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a kind of tag team of viral attack.

That is just one huge reason why the AMA is continuing its legal efforts in support of policies that require widespread COVID-19 vaccination. In a newly filed set of amicus briefs, the AMA urged the 6th and 11th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals to stay lower-court orders denying enforcement of theSafer Federal Workforce Task Forces Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors.

The AMA-led amicus briefs inKentucky v. BidenandGeorgia v. Bidenwere joined by more than a dozen leading medical organizations representing family doctors, pediatricians, allergists and immunologists, clinical pathologists, and more. They all recognize COVID-19 as a grave danger to public health and support widespread vaccination requirements as the most effective strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

Halting enforcement of the guidance requiring federal contractor vaccination would severely and irreparably harm workers and undermine the public interest, the briefs noted. Vaccines provide a safe and effective way to protect against transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace and across the nation, as shown by a body of well-regarded scientific evidence from rigorous clinical trials.

The AMA has alsofiled several briefsin courts around the country in support of theemergency temporary standardissued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to protect the health and safety of U.S. workers, families and communities across the nation.

The AMA has been tracking the need for COVID-19 vaccine requirements since the three safe and effective vaccines that have been authorized or approved in the U.S. became widely and easily accessible across the country at no cost to patients. Find below a few of the AMAs best news articles supporting the case for COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

The AMA recognizes the critical importance of scientific integrity, transparency and public trust in the fight to contain the global spread of COVID-19. Stay updated with the AMA on COVID-19 and vaccine development.

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COVID-19 vaccine requirements: Why U.S. doctors are fighting for them - American Medical Association