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Amputee Coalition Strongly Supports COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts

Oct 21, 2021 |

Limb Loss and Limb Difference Community Face Greater Health Risks From COVID-19

Coalition Engaged With National Education and Equity Effort to Promote Vaccination

The Amputee Coalition has supported aggressive public engagement to communicate the facts about the safety and efficacy of FDA approved COVID-19 vaccines, and efforts to reach communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic, including the limb loss and limb difference community, communities of color, and the elderly.

As a member of The COVID-19 Education and Equity Project (www.covidvaccineproject.org), a national coalition of over 200 of the nations’ leading non-profit patient advocacy organizations and for-profit industry trade associations, including the retail and food industries, the Amputee Coalition participates in a wide range of outreach and education efforts on COVID-19 vaccines.

Through its COVID-19 Education and Equity Project membership, the Amputee Coalition:

  • Provides education on, and advocacy for, adherence to America’s gold-standard regulatory review process for vaccines;
  • Raises awareness about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination for public health, the economy and broader society wellbeing;
  • Promotes the impact of widespread COVID-19 vaccination acceptance in protecting individuals, family, communities, and commerce; and
  • Leads national and local conversations that drive efforts to ensure equitable access to authorized and approved vaccines.

From its own experience, the Amputee Coalition understands that building and supporting confidence in science is key to successful engagement and positive health outcomes in this global pandemic. We also understand the importance for being mindful of, and working hard to, address health inequities that exist generally and specifically due to COVID-19.

Limb Loss & Limb Difference Community At High Risk From COVID-19

COVID-19 hits the limb loss and limb challenged communities hard because of several underlying health issues and factors that lead to amputation or are a result of limb loss:

  • Amputation rates during the pandemic have increased as COVID-19 causes dangerous blood clots;
  • Diabetes and cancer are significant underlying conditions that put people with limb loss at even high risk to infection and hospitalization;
  • Forgoing doctor visits during the pandemic has resulted in more patients at-risk for amputation from getting vital preventative health care; and
  • Suicide rates among veterans with limb loss has increased as social isolation, shared by many, take its toll during the pandemic.

Through its membership in The COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project, the Amputee Coalition has access to significant education and outreach resources to communicate fact-based, timely information on vaccines, including:

As new initiatives are executed to support greater vaccine rates across the nation, in the workplace, and within communities of color and those at higher-risk for COVID-19 infection, the Amputee Coalition and its over 200 partners in The COVID-19 Education and Equity Project are doubling down on efforts to promote access to vaccines and fact-based information on COVID-19. These efforts include:

  • Communicating with public leaders and health officials on specific impact experience with COVID-19 from within the limb loss/limb challenge community;
  • Targeted outreach and communications to communities are high risk facing access challenges to health care, vaccines, and testing;
  • Engagement and public dialogue with leading public health officials on the latest developments in COVID-19 science and health policy recommendations; and
  • Resource and knowledge sharing across our partnership coalition members to bring forward new thinking and best practices to support the national vaccination effort.

Access the downloadable version of this fact sheet now available.