High Demand for Drug to Prevent COVID-19 in the Vulnerable, Yet Doses Go Unused
Sasha Mallett, Sue Taylor and Kimberly Cooley all have immune deficiencies that make them especially vulnerable to COVID-19, and all have tried to get the same thing: a new treatment that can prevent the disease in people who either cannot produce antibodies after receiving a coronavirus vaccine or cannot get vaccinated at all.
Because they have a weakened response to the coronavirus vaccine and may not be able to fight off COVID-19, many immunocompromised people have continued to isolate themselves at home and feel left behind as the country reopens. Evusheld, administered in two consecutive injections, appears to offer long-lasting protection — perhaps for half a year — giving it considerable appeal for this group.
Hesitance is also an issue. Some doctors and other providers do not know how to use Evusheld and are thus loath to prescribe it. The fact that it is an antibody treatment can be confusing because most such treatments are used after someone gets COVID-19 rather than for preventive care. But they have not heard anything yet about scheduling a second dose, which she needs based on the new recommendations.
Mallett is highly educated, medically savvy, wealthy and easily able to take time away from her job — privileges that helped her get a dose, but that many others do not have. “I definitely have a lot of lingering ethical qualms about how I went about getting this medication,” she said. “Did I take advantage of our broken system?”
The Biden administration is trying to address the confusion. Top federal health officials have been working to raise awareness among state health officials, providers and patients. They convened a call this past week with advocates for the disabled to discuss the revised dosing guidance; they also urged patient groups to partner with the administration on outreach and education efforts.
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