Results demonstrate the importance of vaccinating patients at
trusted sites of care
DENVER and WALTHAM,
Mass., April 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal
partnership established to help increase access to COVID-19
vaccines for end stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients receiving
dialysis was successful in reducing racial disparities in
vaccination coverage, new research published today in JAMA
Internal Medicine affirms. Compared to white patients,
Hispanic, Black and Asian patients were more likely to receive at
least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in a dialysis center.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
collaborated with DaVita, Fresenius Medical Care North
America and other partners in March
2021 to create the Federal Dialysis Provider COVID-19
Vaccine Partnership. Both providers received allocations of
COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government to administer to
patients in dialysis centers and distribute to other dialysis
providers across the country.
"We were steadfast in our advocacy efforts to support patients
with kidney failure by providing access to the vaccine through the
pandemic. We're incredibly grateful for the collaboration between
the CDC and the kidney care community to leverage our capacity,
experience and footprint to bring dialysis patients direct access
to COVID-19 vaccines," said Dr. Jeff
Giullian, chief medical officer for DaVita and study
co-author. "The results of this study affirm that providing
vaccines at trusted sites of care is an effective approach to
helping to reduce hesitancy and advance equity for patients of
color who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19
pandemic."
"I appreciate all the members of our frontline care teams who
worked so hard to efficiently vaccinate our vulnerable patient
population," said Dr. Jeffrey Hymes,
global head of clinical affairs for Fresenius Medical
Care and another study co-author. "This important partnership with
the CDC shows how well our dialysis centers can be used to reach
often underserved populations and improve equitable access to care,
especially for people at highest risk of complications from viruses
like COVID-19."
The new study evaluated the impact of dialysis clinics serving
as COVID-19 vaccine providers on vaccination coverage and
disparities from Dec. 1, 2020,
through June 13, 2021. Vaccination
coverage was calculated using the number of patients at nearly
5,200 Fresenius and DaVita dialysis centers who received at least
one dose of vaccine, regardless of location. Researchers found
that:
- As of March 28, 2021, shortly
after the federal partnership launched, vaccination coverage among
white patients was 52%, exceeding coverage in Black (45.2%) and
Hispanic (51.3%) patients. Asian patients had higher vaccination
coverage (60%) than white patients.
- By June 13, 2021, vaccination
coverage among Asian (74.1%) and Hispanic (69.5%) patients exceeded
that of white patients (65.5%), with vaccination coverage among
Black patients slightly lower (63%).
- Overall, 50.7% (312,046) of vaccinated patients were vaccinated
in a dialysis clinic during the evaluation. Compared to white
patients (42.5%), Hispanic (62.2%), Black (55.4%) and Asian (49.5%)
patients were more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in a
dialysis center.
The researchers recommend that public health agencies and
policymakers prioritize dialysis centers for federal vaccine
allocations and on-site vaccine administration in the future.
More than 500,000 Americans diagnosed with ESKD receive
life-sustaining dialysis care. Due to underlying conditions that
may compromise their immune systems, these patients are often at
higher risk for COVID-19 infection. ESKD patients are also some of
the most racially and ethnically diverse in health care.
Study author affiliations: Fresenius Medical Care, DaVita Inc.,
Minnesota Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detailed to
Puerto Rico Department of Health, American Society of Nephrology
and Yale University School of Medicine,
and the American Society of Nephrology and Rogosin Institute.
About DaVita Inc.
DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a comprehensive kidney care provider
focused on transforming care to improve the quality of life for
patients globally. The company is one of the largest providers of
kidney care services in the U.S. and has been a leader in clinical
quality and innovation for more than 20 years. DaVita is working to
help increase equitable access to care for patients at every stage
and setting along their kidney health journey—from slowing
progression of kidney disease to streamlining the transplant
process, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home. As
of December 31, 2021, DaVita served 203,000 patients at 2,815
outpatient dialysis centers in the U.S. The company operated an
additional 339 outpatient dialysis centers in ten countries
worldwide. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality
and worked collaboratively to propel the kidney care community to
adopt an equitable, high-quality standard of care for all patients,
everywhere. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/About.
About Fresenius Medical Care North
America
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is the premier
healthcare company focused on providing the highest quality care to
people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its
industry-leading network of dialysis facilities and outpatient
cardiac and vascular labs, Fresenius Medical Care North America
provides coordinated healthcare services at pivotal care points for
hundreds of thousands of chronically ill customers throughout the
continent. As the world's largest fully integrated renal company,
it offers specialty pharmacy and laboratory services, and
manufactures and distributes the most comprehensive line of
dialysis equipment, disposable products, and renal pharmaceuticals.
For more information, visit the FMCNA website at
https://fmcna.com/.
Media Contact Information:
DaVita
Halie Peddle
(303) 550-6349
Halie.Peddle@DaVita.com
Fresenius Medical Care North America
Brad Puffer
(781) 699-3331
Brad.Puffer@freseniusmedicalcare.com
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SOURCE DaVita