Ahead of the ‘World No Tobacco Day’ on Monday, doctors have drawn attention to how smoking tobacco poses threat to lung health, thereby increasing risk of COVID-19 severity. Consultant radiation oncol
‘Include cancer patients for Covid vaccination without age restriction’
March 02, 2021
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Infectious diseases specialist urges inclusion of all adult patients who had a cancer diagnosis within the last five years, whether on treatment or not Cancer patients diagnosed in the past five years should also be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine, without an age restriction, an infectious diseases specialist has said in his letter to the Health Ministry and NITI Aayog top-brass.
The list of co-morbidities eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine mentions cancer patients at the highest risk, but cancer patients in the 18-45 age group are also vulnerable and need to be included, Dr Abdul Ghafur, an infectious diseases consultant at Chennai’s Apollo Cancer Institute, told
“Include all those with cancer diagnosis in last five years for vaccination”
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In the next phase of COVID-19 vaccination drive commencing on Monday, the Union government must consider including all persons diagnosed with cancer in the last five years, even if they were presently not on treatment and irrespective of age limits, said Abdul Ghafur, coordinator, Chennai Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance and consultant, infectious diseases, at Apollo Cancer Institute, here.
The present guidelines for those in the age group of 45 to 60 years include persons diagnosed with solid cancer on or after July 1, 2020 and those who are currently on any cancer therapy.