Today, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging them to take immediate steps to update their guidance on the risk people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) face with COVID-19 and acknowledge that people with both T1D and type 2 diabetes (T2D) should be prioritized equally in the rollout of the vaccine. This change is particularly important because more recent clinical evidence demonstrates that COVID-19 severity is more than tripled in individuals with T1D and time-sensitive, as states are now operationalizing vaccine rollouts and they need the most accurate and current information in order to do this correctly.
“As the data make clear, differentiating between T1D and T2D for purposes of assessing COVID-19 risk is an error that could cost even more lives, and we urge CDC to correct this immediately,” said Dr. Robert Gabbay, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer for the ADA.
Currently, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices – whose recommendations influence the order in which states are making vaccines are available – classify T1D as a lower risk than T2D for COVID-19. With many states now utilizing the same outdated CDC risk classification to design their vaccine distribution plans some 1.6 million with T1D are at risk for receiving a COVID vaccination later than others in the same risk category.
The ADA was joined by 18 other organizations who signed on to the letter:
American Diabetes Association
JDRF
Children with Diabetes
Beyond Type 1
American Association of Clinical Endocrinology
American Podiatric Medical Association
Diabetes Leadership Council
Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition
Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education
DiabetesSisters
The diaTribe Foundation
Endocrine Society
Pediatric Endocrine Society
T1D Exchange
College Diabetes Network
YMCA of the USA
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation, Inc.
Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists
The ADA established a COVID-19 Task Force to maintain active engagement both with health officials and government leaders, and to keep the diabetes community apprised of critical information about COVID-19 and available treatments and vaccines. Current COVID-19 vaccine distribution information is available on a state-by-state basis on the ADA’s COVID-19 hub.
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About the American Diabetes Association
Every day more than 4,000 people are newly diagnosed with diabetes in America. More than 122 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes and are striving to manage their lives while living with the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 80 years the ADA has been driving discovery and research to treat, manage and prevent diabetes, while working relentlessly for a cure. We help people with diabetes thrive by fighting for their rights and developing programs, advocacy and education designed to improve their quality of life. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).