ACS urges surgeons to take active role in getting patients vaccinated against COVID-19

Editor's Note

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 4 announced the launch of a “Talk It Up” campaign to help surgeons address their patients’ concerns and help them understand the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

The campaign includes a series of videos about the importance of vaccination, the power of surgeon-patient conversations, and a question-and-answer resource for surgeons.

The resource addresses common patient questions, such as:

• Do I need a COVID-19 test before an elective surgical procedure?
• How soon before my surgery should I get vaccinated?
• Why do I need to get vaccinated ? I’m healthy, in good shape, and rarely get sick.

ACS executive director David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, noted that: “The more we ‘Talk It Up’ with our patients about the evidence and protection offered by the vaccines, the closer we will get to ending this pandemic.”