Biden administration partners with dialysis clinics for COVID-19 vaccine allocation
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Today, the Biden administration announced a partnership with dialysis clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to patients and health care workers.
The partnership is part of a $10 billion investment to expand access to the “hardest-hit and highest-risk communities” across the United States, according to a fact sheet released by the White House; it also includes funding for community health centers, as well as vaccine education and outreach programs.
“Through this partnership, the administration will provide vaccines directly to dialysis treatment centers so patients who typically go three times a week for treatment are able to get vaccinated at their place of care,” according to the fact sheet.
The partnership continues efforts by the administration to ensure underserved populations (such as those residing in low-income or rural areas and communities of color) have access to the vaccine; some of the programs noted include federally run community vaccination centers and mobile clinics, which the administration suggested have shown initial success.
“Equity is at the center of the administration’s COVID-19 response,” according to the fact sheet.
With the acknowledgement that patients on dialysis are one of the most vulnerable groups (those who contract COVID-19 frequently have severe health outcomes, as well as a high hospitalization and mortality rate), the administration indicated how allocation of COVID-19 vaccines to dialysis clinics can help promote health equity, noting that kidney disease disproportionately affects people of color (34% of patients on dialysis are Black and 19% are Hispanic).
The CDC has also announced a partnership with dialysis clinics “to support the rapid vaccination of most dialysis patients and health care personnel,” CDC director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, said in a press release. These include DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care North America.
"The dialysis provider community came together to advocate for the needs of our patients,” Javier Rodriguez, CEO of DaVita, commented in a press release. “Offering patients direct access to the vaccine in a convenient and trusted site of care improves health equity, addresses challenges with third-party sites and reduces hesitancy rates."
Bill Valle, CEO of FMCNA, also addressed the news in a press release.
“We greatly appreciate the strong support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, national kidney organizations, and those members of Congress who helped us advocate for this national strategy,” he said.
The American Kidney Fund released a statement in support of the action, noting the organization had recently met with the administration to encourage that COVID-19 vaccines be sent directly to dialysis clinics.
“Dialysis providers routinely vaccinate their patients against influenza, pneumonia and hepatitis B, and they are equipped to vaccinate against COVID-19,” the AKF wrote in the statement.
“We can’t be more clear — federal vaccine allocation to dialysis clinics will save lives. We applaud the Biden administration for its commitment to health equity and in prioritizing the distribution of the vaccine to get it immediately to the populations that most need it, including those with kidney failure,” the AKF wrote.
Reference:
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0325-vaccines-dialysis-centers.html
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