College urges vaccinations for the frail and elderly
From the December 2000 ACP-ASIM Observer, copyright © 2000 by the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine.
At an Oct. 25 press conference with U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, College President Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, FACP, urged physicians to immunize more of their adult patients and unveiled a new College effort to encourage internists to do just that.
Speakers at the press conference, which included representatives from several other medical organizations, urged high-risk individuals to get vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcal infection. They also emphasized that "healthy" individuals should wait until December to get their flu shots because of this year's delayed delivery of vaccines.
At the press conference, Dr. Fryhofer announced a new three-year College initiative to raise the rates of adult immunization. She described the program's three key components:
- Publication of the fourth edition of the "ACP-ASIM Guide for Adult Immunization," which is the College's handbook on vaccinations.
- Development of a tool kit to help physicians integrate adult immunization into their office management systems. The kit will be offered to the 50,000 ACP-ASIM members who practice general internal medicine.
- Continued advocacy for adequate reimbursement from insurers to increase the number of adults who get the immunizations they need.
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