Partnership Will Allow Immediate Vaccinations to One of America’s Most Vulnerable Patient Populations  

WASHINGTON, DC – Kidney Care Partners (KCP) – the nation’s largest kidney coalition comprised of physician groups, providers, patient advocacy groups, manufacturers and researchers – today applauded the White House’s announcement to partner with dialysis clinics to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals with kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), in outpatient dialysis clinics.  Vaccinations will include the health professionals in the clinics responsible for providing care.

The COVID-19 public health emergency is having a disproportionate impact on individuals living with ESRD, as well as those in rural, hard-to-reach communities. Individuals with ESRD have one of the highest mortality rates due to COVID-19 at 20 percent. ESRD also disproportionately impacts minority populations, who are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. Compared to Caucasians, ESRD prevalence is about 3.7 times greater in African Americans, 1.4 times greater in Native Americans, and 1.5 times greater in Asian Americans. Dialysis clinics are also located in hard-to-reach, rural communities throughout the country.

“We sincerely thank the Biden Administration for listening to the voices of the kidney care community in taking this critical action to help vaccinate the 500,000 Americans who rely on dialysis treatments,” said John Butler, Chairman of KCP. “This partnership will certainly save lives by getting to this population immediately in a convenient clinical setting with highly trained medical professionals they already visit three times per week for their kidney care.”

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