Emergency medicine is more than just a ride to the hospital, it is a system of coordinated response and emergency medical care, involving multiple people and agencies. With the current surge in COVID-19 and the highly contagious Delta variant causing a national emergency medical crisis, six of the country’s top associations in the space of emergency medicine services join in the following statement regarding COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP), the Air Medical Physician Association (AMPA), the American Paramedic Association (APA), the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), and the National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA), agree that it is critical for all EMS clinicians including paramedics, EMS physicians, and other emergency medical services providers without a religious or medical exemption, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to slow the spread of the disease and prevent needless deaths of vulnerable persons. EMS personnel are essential workers responsible for the health and safety of our families, patients, and communities. Being vaccinated is a professional ethical obligation.
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