Benzinga | Oct 15, 2021 06:31AM EDT

Henry Schein CEO Gives Statement Supporting Primary-Care Physician Access To COVID-19 Vaccines

Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSIC) Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Stanley M. Bergman issued the following statement in support of a letter sent to the Biden Administration by the nation's top physician organizations urging federal officials to expand participation of primary-care physicians and other office-based practitioners in the effort to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates nationwide.

"Henry Schein applauds the effort led by the American Academy of Family Physicians, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, Association of American Indian Physicians, National Council of Asian and Pacific Islander Physicians, National Hispanic Medical Association, and the National Medical Association, urging the Biden Administration to hasten and expand office-based physicians' access to COVID-19 vaccines for their patients," Mr. Bergman said. "As a nation, we have made substantial progress on vaccinations and important achievements in advancing health equity. However, we still see significant lags in vaccination rates, particularly in communities of color and in rural communities, which each face considerable logistical and technological challenges accessing the vaccine. Office-based physicians, including primary-care physicians and pediatricians, traditionally play a key role in promoting vaccination to their patients. They are trusted messengers uniquely positioned to address vaccine hesitancy, advance equity, and communicate the benefit of booster shots or third doses, especially for those with underlying medical conditions or individuals residing in marginalized communities. These physicians, especially the ones who routinely administer the flu shot and other vaccines, should be given easier access to COVID-19 vaccines. With updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stating flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time, office-based physicians should be more effectively included in the vaccine roll-out effort. Office-based physicians are essential for our country to close the gap on COVID-19 vaccination."

Henry Schein acknowledges and thanks in particular the following health care professional organizations for supporting this effort. Signatories of the letter include Aledade; American Academy of Family Physicians; American Academy of Pediatrics; American College of Physicians; Association of American Indian Physicians; Catalyst Health Network; ChenMed; Elation Health; Everside Health; MDVIP; Medical Group Management Association; National Council of Asian and Pacific Islander Physicians; National Hispanic Medical Association; National Medical Association; One Medical; VillageMD.

Read the letter here.