On May 3, Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) President Mike Sevilla, MD, asked Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, to step up efforts to immediately make the COVID-19 vaccine available to family physician practices across the state.
In his letter, Dr. Sevilla states, “We know you realize that family physicians are able to counsel vaccine hesitant patients because of the trusted, ongoing relationship we have with our patients. Many vaccine hesitant patients are less trusting of messages received from news outlets, public health officials, and other unknown individuals, but they do trust their personal physician. Family physicians have the unique opportunity for those one-on-one conversations with patients as they come to our offices for routine wellness, chronic care management, and acute illness visits. During these visits, we physicians may be able to persuade those hesitant to take the vaccine to actually commit to receiving the vaccination at that moment; but, once patients leave the office without the vaccination, it is quite likely that they will choose not to take the extra step of making an appointment elsewhere to be vaccinated.”
“Up until now, we have been reassured that primary care offices are important in the state’s vaccine strategy and that we will be receiving the vaccine once distribution and storage issues are resolved,” the letter continues. “We have been patient, but now that vaccine supply exceeds demand and appointments are readily available at pharmacies and vaccination centers, the strategy needs to shift to reaching those who remain unvaccinated. Tactics to reach the vaccine hesitant need to turn to the patient’s medical home and their trusted primary care physician.”
“The time has come to distribute lifesaving COVID vaccines to primary care offices, where patients are accustomed to receiving their other vaccinations. Our offices are more than capable of storing the vaccines, registering and tracking patients, safely administering the vaccines to patients, and monitoring them for adverse events immediately following vaccination.”
Dr. Sevilla’s letter concludes, “The trusted relationships we have with patients make us best equipped to tackle vaccine hesitancy. Our practices are built to do this. Please let us deliver the care our patients need and deserve.”