A group of 130 organizations has written to President Biden urging him and senior officials … [+]
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A group of 130 cancer centers and organizations, led by the American Society for Cancer Research (AACR), today sent a letter to President Biden and senior members of the CDC urging them to prioritize Covid-19 vaccines for humans with cancer and surviving cancer.
Huge evidence now shows that people receiving cancer treatment are at a higher risk of serious illness and die from Covid-19 if they get the coronavirus. In addition, survivors of certain types of cancer such as blood cancer are also at higher risk from Covid-19, even if they have completed their treatments.
The CDC recognizes that people with cancer are at greater risk for adverse outcomes or death from Covid-19, placing people with cancer in a “1c” priority group, prioritizing them for single-category vaccination down from health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. .
But President Biden recently upped his vaccination plan, calling for an expansion of the priority groups set up by the CDC, leading to some states inviting all over 65 to get the vaccine .
“States that open up vaccines to anyone over the age of 65 would be fine in a time of plentiful vaccinations, but we are dealing with limited supply,” said Jon Retzlaff, AACR’s Chief Policy Officer. “People with cancer and some cancer survivors are in greater need and may not get the vaccines they need if we open the criteria without adequate supply. In a time of limited supply, you have to put high risk people in front of the line, ”said Retzlaff.
The letter, led by the AACR and signed by several major cancer centers, research institutes and patient advocacy groups calls for urgent action to get primary access to the Covid-19 vaccine for everyone with live cancer and cancer.
“Today Dana-Farber proudly joined 130 scientific organizations and cancer centers with the AACR urging Biden administration to prioritize access to Covid-19 vaccines for cancer patients and survivors,” he said. Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, President and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. “We know that patients with cancer, and especially those receiving treatment, are particularly at risk from Covid-19 infection. We must continue to protect those most at risk as long as vaccines are not scarce, ”said Glimcher.
This is not the first call to prioritize people with cancer and cancer survivors, with the AACR and other organizations initially seeking to prioritize people with cancer back in December 2020. But the letter new, also sent to state regulators and department of health leaders and now signed by more than 100 organizations representing tens of thousands of scientists, physicians and patient advocates hoping to make a greater impact.
“130 organizations across the country have shown so much commitment and support to this issue – they have all agreed that people with cancer and those who have survived the vaccination process should be given priority over the effort. This can be extended to vaccines> 65 and over, ”said Retzlaff.