Covid-19 Written vaccine bottle with a blue liquid and taking the vaccine from it with a syringe on a laboratory like background.

The following statement is attributable to Connie Steed, 2020 President of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is encouraged by safety and efficacy reports of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines that may soon be approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and recommends that the public and healthcare workers get vaccinated when supply becomes available.

The CDC recommends that initial doses of the vaccine first be given to healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities. APIC supports the initial prioritization of these two groups. Our infection preventionist members are actively organizing vaccine clinics in our nation’s health facilities for this roll-out.

The availability of COVID-19 vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel we have all been waiting for and marks the beginning of the end of this terrible ordeal. APIC encourages all Americans who can, to get immunized when the shots are offered. Thanks to the careful review process and oversight of the U.S. government and the Food & Drug Administration and new vaccine safety systems being added for COVID-19, the public can be assured that the new vaccines are safe. As infection preventionists charged with stopping the spread of infectious diseases inside healthcare facilities, we promote the uptake of vaccines among healthcare staff and advocate for mandatory seasonal flu vaccine policies. Immunizations are an essential public health tool, preventing human suffering and saving millions of lives from deadly diseases and crippling illnesses.

APIC looks forward to a day when the U.S. has achieved herd immunity for COVID-19 and a sufficient portion of the population are immunized. That day is still months away, and until then, we cannot let our guard down. We are asking the public to take the #PreventTheSpread pledge to continue masking and social distancing -- even after being vaccinated. Until enough people have received the required vaccine doses, we cannot risk spreading COVID-19 in our communities. Please do your part to keep us all safe: wear your mask, practice social distancing, get a flu shot, and clean your hands frequently. Visit www.infectionpreventionandyou.org for more information.