ASRA Pain Medicine Update

Joint Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination of Health Care Personnel

The leadership of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and professional societies associated with the specialty offer our support and strong encouragement for COVID-19 vaccination of the nation’s health care workers and all eligible Americans.     

The health and safety of our members, our colleagues in health care, and the patients we serve is our highest priority.  We believe widespread vaccination is the most effective path to reduce illness and death, and to ameliorate the impact of the pandemic.

COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective at significantly reducing the risk of becoming infected, spreading the infection to others, and becoming severely ill or dying from the disease.  For health care personnel, COVID-19 vaccination is particularly essential because it significantly reduces the likelihood of unintentionally spreading COVID-19 to our patients, including those who may have weakened immune systems. 

We believe anesthesiologists and anesthesiology professionals who work closely with patients in operating rooms and procedural areas, in hospitals and ambulatory settings, and in critical care units should be especially vested in closing the vaccination gap. We stand with all of our medical colleagues to strongly promote these efforts.  

This statement is agreed upon and supported by the undersigned societies. 
 
Beverly K. Philip, MD, FACA, FASA
President
American Society of Anesthesiologists

Samer Narouze, MD, PhD
President
American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine 

Mark Warner, MD
President
Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation

Ronald G. Pearl, MD, PhD
President
Society of Academic Associations of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine 

Bobbie Jean Sweitzer, MD, FACP, SAMBA-F, FASA
President
Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia 

Andrew D. Shaw, MB, FCCM, FFICM, FRCA
President 
Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists 

Miguel A. Cobas, MD, FCCM
President 
Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists 

Stephanie B. Jones, MD
President
Society for Education in Anesthesia 

Chanannait Paisansathan, MD, MHA
President
Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care

Edward (Ted) Yaghmour, MD, FASA
President
Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology

Nina Deutsch, MD
President
Society for Pediatric Anesthesia