The American Society for Clinical Pathology is calling on policymakers to immediately pass a COVID-19 vaccine mandate — and on private sector leaders to intervene if policymakers fail to act.
“Vaccines for smallpox and polio were made mandatory to avoid massive epidemics, and these debilitating and deadly diseases have been eradicated,” said E. Blair Holladay, PhD, CEO of the society. "Every state requires vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella, but they have failed to take similar steps with COVID-19, one of the deadliest diseases of our lifetime."
Dr. Holladay said a web of public and private requirements is urgently needed, in light of the pandemic's dire consequences on pathology and laboratory medicine.
“It means those with cancer and other life-threatening conditions face serious delays in diagnosis and treatment,” said Kimberly Sanford, MD, the society's president. "It delays medical diagnoses, erects barriers to preventative care and prevents us from focusing on the significant healthcare needs of the population at-large."
Some government agencies have already begun implementing vaccine mandates. In July, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced a mandate for front-line healthcare workers. This month, the U.S. Defense Department said it will require all U.S. military members to be vaccinated by mid-September. Previously, the Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled that private businesses can require workers to get COVID-19 vaccinations.