The 2021 Q1 Lobbying Report filed by the American Chiropractic Association(ACA) revealed that one of its specific lobbying issues is "urging HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) to consider doctors of chiropractic to administer COVID-19 vaccines." Per the report, the ACA's total spending for lobbying (all endeavors) during the period was only $65,875.1
The effort by the ACA may seem odd given the long list of providers (as well as students studying to be those providers) already recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services to administer the vaccine:2 dentists; emergency medical technicians; midwives; nurses; optometrists; paramedics; pharmacists, pharmacy interns and pharmacy technicians; physicians and physician assistants; podiatrists; respiratory therapists; and veterinarians.
When asked why the ACA was investing its scarce lobbying dollars on the inclusion of DCs as recommended providers to administer the COVID vaccine, a spokesperson for the organization commented:
"From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the [ACA] has reached out to the federal government to make it clear that the chiropractic profession, one of the largest portal-of-entry healthcare groups in the country, is willing and qualified to provide assistance to a healthcare system being stretched to its limit. As a result of ACA's efforts, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in March 2020 included doctors of chiropractic on its listing of the essential critical infrastructure workforce.
"One year later in March 2021, when the Department of Health and Human Services was working to rapidly provide vaccines to the public by expanding its list of healthcare professionals qualified to provide vaccination services, ACA wrote to HHS to point out that DCs meet the criteria put forward and should therefore be included. During this health crisis, ACA supports inclusion of doctors of chiropractic in public health efforts to meet the special needs of communities nationwide."
All of the above begs the obvious question: Should doctors of chiropractic administer COVID vaccinations? To better understand the answer, Dynamic Chiropractic is surveying the profession. Doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic students are encouraged to cast their vote today by visiting www.dynamicchiropractic.com/covidsurvey.*
The survey window will be open until Nov. 20, 2021. Final voting results, along with a representative selection of comments made by voters, will be published in our January 2022 issue.
*We announced the availability of this survey in a breaking news email distributed in late September. If you have already cast your vote on this issue, we thank you for your participation. You cannot vote more than once.
References
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
