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A Vaccination Imperative: "Please, Let's Do It," NFID Medical Director Robert Hopkins, Jr, MD, Urges
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases medical director appeals to the community at large to set politics and personal grievance aside and to "first, do no harm."
Robert Hopkins, Jr, MD, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, had a message for health care professionals, and their patients, of course, at the conclusion of a recent interview with Patient Care.© "Let's get vaccinated," he urged. Put aside the arguments and the politics and "communicate with each other with respect." As the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season gains momentum, Hopkins invoked Hippocrates, encouraging above all to "first do no harm.
The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Patient Care: Do you have a parting message for primary care clinicians and anyone who is part of disease prevention efforts this season?
Hopkins: I really want to emphasize the importance of getting both our healthcare teams and our patients vaccinated. If you haven’t already received your influenza, COVID, pneumococcal, or RSV vaccines—assuming you’re in the groups that need them based on current CDC guidance—let’s make it happen.
We may not be seeing high levels of RSV or COVID just yet, but they’re coming. Influenza is still at low levels right now, but we know it’s on the way. So, let’s get vaccinated.
In addition to vaccination, we can take other critical steps. We should think about improving indoor air quality in our offices, hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. When there are high levels of respiratory disease in our communities—or in the populations we’re treating—it’s worth considering a return to masking as a preventive measure.
Most importantly, we need to communicate openly and respectfully with one another. Regardless of beliefs, politics, or any other differences, we must uphold our commitment to "first, do no harm." Sitting down and having real, face-to-face conversations is something we’ve lost too often over the past 5 years, and it’s time to bring that back.
Robert J Hopkins, Jr, MD, is the medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and professor of internal medicine and pediatrics and director of the division of general internal medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, in Little Rock, AK.
