AAIM is continually monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on our ability to provide a safe experience for attendees of the 2022 APDIM Fall Meeting. AAIM will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust the health and safety protocols as necessary.
Attendees should be aware that, while AAIM will make every effort to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission on site, it is possible that attendees will come in contact with people in airports, hotels, and around the city who could potentially carry the virus. Please read below to stay informed on the latest updates.
Do I need to be vaccinated to attend the 2022 APDIM Fall Meeting?
Yes. The safety of meeting attendees is the Alliance’s top priority, and AAIM believes the most effective way to ensure the safety of all attendees is for them to be vaccinated against COVID-19. As such, AAIM will require all participants (e.g. , registrants, speakers, guests, exhibit booth representatives and sponsors, etc.) to be up-to-date on their vaccines as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This means that in addition to being fully vaccinated, you will also need to have received at least one booster shot (if eligible) for entry into the meeting. Full details on vaccination status definitions can be found online at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html.
How will AAIM verify my vaccination status?
If you attended Academic Internal Medicine Week 2022 (AIMW22) and completed your vaccine verification, you will not need to re-submit your information. If you did not attend AIMW22 and have not completed the vaccine verification for any other AAIM event, detailed instructions will be provided closer to the meeting how to complete your verification via Sharemy.health.
Will everyone at the meeting be fully vaccinated?
In addition to all attendees, all AAIM staff working at the meeting will be up-to-date on their vaccinations; however, AAIM is not legally able to require local hotel staff to be vaccinated. AAIM is working with the hotel to develop on-site protocols in accordance with the CDC guidelines.
Do I need to test before arriving at the 2022 APDIM Fall Meeting?
At this time, the Alliance is not requiring attendees of the fall meeting to take a COVID-19 test before arriving in San Diego. Instead, attendees are encouraged to take a test prior to the meeting, especially if they are experiencing any of the potential symptoms of COVID-19.
Will masks be required during the meeting?
The current COVID-19 level community level in San Diego County, CA, is low. The most recent CDC guidance indicates that if the COVID-19 Community Level is low, then wearing a mask is based on your personal preference, informed by your personal level of risk.
At this time, the Alliance strongly recommends but does not require participants to wear a mask. A complimentary KN95 mask will be provided to each participant at registration. AAIM leaders will continue to monitor the environment and will notify participants of any changes to masking requirements.
Will I have to do anything different during registration in regard to health and safety?
As a condition of registration, all registrants are required to acknowledge they will comply with the vaccine verification requirement and that they have read and will comply with the 2022 APDIM Fall Meeting Health and Safety Waiver.
What sanitation efforts will be enforced?
Even though the science now shows that COVID-19 transmission is unlikely to occur from touching surfaces touched by multiple persons (i.e., podiums, etc.), staff will clean these regularly to promote healthy sanitation overall. Hand sanitizer will also be available in multiple locations throughout the meeting space.
What do the different color lanyards mean?
Through a color-coding system for the badge lanyards, attendees will be able to signal their preference for contact (e.g., hugs and handshakes, elbows only, please keep your distance). All conference participants (e.g., attendees, speakers, sponsors/exhibitors, staff, and others) are asked to respect the contact preference of other attendees.
What if I don’t feel well while I’m at the meeting?
If you don’t feel well during the meeting, please stay in your hotel room and do not enter the meeting space. If you take a COVID-19 exam and return a positive result, please email meetings@im.org so that the proper notifications can be made. Your name will be kept confidential. More information on local testing options will be provided closer to the meeting.