12.18.23 OMA Board Book

AMA Obesity Caucus 2023 Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates 11/11/2023 5:00-6:00 PM EST

Meeting Minutes: 1) The meeting was called to order at 5:00 PM by the Obesity Caucus chair, Dr. Ethan Lazarus (Obesity Medicine Association Past-President, and AMA Delegate). Dr. Lazarus presided over the meeting. 2) Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, immediate past-chair of the AMA board provided updates regarding the importance of vaccinating vulnerable populations for flu, COVID, and RSV. a. Flu: there has already been one pediatric death. Flu season is just getting started. Dr. recommending just one dose of the new vaccine to those 6 months and older. The plan will be for 1 vaccine annually. It appears previous immunity is less effective than vaccination for the new variants. Even for those who have previously been unvaccinated, if they get just the 1 vaccine, they are considered up to date. At this time, only 7% of American adults have gotten the updated vaccine, and only 1 in 5 of those over the age of 75, and age is one of the most important COVID risk factors for severe disease. c. RSV: RSV season runs from October through March. Now there are two vaccines available for older adults and 2 new ways to protect babies. One is an adjuvant vaccine utilizing the same adjuvant as the shingles vaccine, but half of the amount. This one can NOT be used in pregnancy. The other can be used in pregnancy. Both are recommended by ACIP for those age 60 and older under shared decision making. Nearly all of those hospitalized for RSV have other underlying medical conditions including CAD, obesity (2 nd most common), diabetes, and chronic lung disease. There have been 6 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, inflammatory neurologic events, and an imbalance in atrial fibrillation associated with vaccination, so they are doing post-marketing surveillance. Babies--RSV is the most common reason for hospitalization. 79% who get RSV have no underlying risk factors. The babies’ Mothers can get vaccinated at 32-36 weeks if they have plans to deliver during RSV season. Babies can get monoclonal antibodies, but there are limited supplies and they are very expensive. It is recommended to prioritize these for those babies at high risk--high risk health conditions, and children who are American Indian or Alaskan natives. d. Dr. Fryhofer recommends the following approach to discussing vaccination with patients: AIMS Fryhofer urges us to remember to advise our patients to get the flu vaccine. b. Covid: while national activity has declined, there are still thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths every week. The CDC is now

A: Announce. Let the patient know about vaccination. I: If the patient does not want it, inquire – ask why? M: mirror back what the patient said and discuss their concerns S: Secure trust in your relationship with the patient 3) Janet Williams from the Improving Health Outcomes (IHO) Team

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