NAPNAP Endorses Community Immunity During COVID–19 Act of 2020
NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2020 – The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP), speaking for more than 9,000 nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses dedicated to providing optimal health care for children, today endorsed the “Community Immunity During COVID–19 Act of 2020” introduced by Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL). This legislation would provide critically needed federal support to initiate, build and evaluate community initiatives to promote recommended vaccinations during the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“As essential frontline providers of children’s care, especially in the midst of the current public health emergency, pediatric APRNs know how crucial vaccines are to save lives and provide the protection that is essential for the health of children, adults and communities,” NAPNAP President Jessica L. Peck, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, CNE, CNL, FAANP said. “Especially in the Year of the Nurse, NAPNAP and its members are tremendously proud of Rep. Underwood for bringing her nursing and public health perspective into our country’s efforts to protect children and their families in the midst of this pandemic and to ensure that they have access to accurate, evidence-based information on vaccines.”
Rep. Underwood’s legislation would authorize funding for state and local public health departments to promote vaccinations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, strengthening partnerships between health care providers, including pediatric APRNs and school-based nurses, schools, and pharmacies and community-based organizations to ensure that families are aware of health insurance options and immunization programs such as the Vaccines for Children program. It would also help to develop vaccine counseling guidance for providers and combat misinformation about vaccines, including an eventual COVID-19 vaccine.
NAPNAP and its members are committed to supporting the “Community Immunity During COVID-19 Act of 2020” and its adoption as part of the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
