AHA, AMA, ANA Urge for Widespread Vaccination & Booster Shots During Holiday Season as Omicron Variant Spreads

December 17, 2021

The following statement is attributable to:

American Hospital Association
American Medical Association
American Nurses Association

“For nearly two years, our nation’s physicians, nurses and other health care professionals have seen firsthand the tragic impact of COVID-19 on the patients and colleagues they have lost as well as those suffering from the virus’ long-term effects and the families and loved ones left behind. 

“For people trained to save lives, this moment is frustrating, exhausting and heartbreaking.

“As the Delta variant and new Omicron variant contribute to a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the county, we double-down on our call for all eligible Americans to get vaccinated and to get their booster shots. Science has shown that receiving a booster shot decreases your chance of contracting COVID-19, getting severely sick, ending up in the hospital or dying. As families get together for the holidays, now is the time to do your part to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community. 

“Protecting yourself against COVID-19, through vaccination and public health measures such as wearing face masks and physical distancing, will also help ensure that our health care system is able to provide care to all who need it. Our member physicians, nurses and other health care professionals thank you and wish you a healthy and happy holiday season.”  
 

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About the American Hospital Association
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org

About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.

About the American Nurses Association
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation's 4.3 million registered nurses. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all. For high-resolution images of the ANA logo or photos of ANA leadership, please click here.