In the open letter to HHS secretary Azar, the American Hospital Association urges him to be more transparent about the vaccine rollout.
Editor's note: This article first appeared on our sister site, Medical Economics.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is calling on the federal government to expedite the administration of COVID-19 coronavirus vaccines.
In a letter on January 7, addressed to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alexander Azar, the group says that, while the first vaccinations in December were met by celebration, the slow pace of the rollout has led to concern about whether vaccinating the nation would move as quickly as federal leaders had claimed it would. The letter states:
“We urge you to establish a process within HHS with the ability to be able to coordinate the national efforts among all of the states and jurisdictions and the many stakeholders; answer all of the questions expeditiously; establish and maintain effective communication among all involved; and identify and resolve barriers to the rapid deployment of millions of doses of vaccines."
While hospitals share the goal of the government in getting as many people vaccinated as possible, barriers still remain. In an effort to remedy, the letter identifies some of these: