Study: Sickle cell disorder patients less likely to get full COVID-19 vaccine dosage

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Recent findings of a study from Michigan Medicine -- the University of Michigan's academic medical center -- suggests adults with sickle cell disease are half as likely to have received an initial COVID-19 vaccine dose as people without sickle cell disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded study found only 17% of children age 5 to 11 with sickle cell disease had gotten just a primary COVID-19 vaccine, but not a second round. The same went for 31% of the age 12 to 17 demographic. That was compared with 25% and 41% of Michigan's general population in these age groups.

"It is essential to develop targeted interventions to increase COVID-19 vaccination among people with sickle cell disease," said the study's principal investigator, Dr. Sarah Reeves.

Reeves said the sickle cell population is being "chronically underserved" by the U.S. healthcare system, and she emphasized the importance of increasing accessibility and the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines.

This study's findings come after a "groundbreaking" new study on sickle cell disease -- a disorder afflicting nearly 100,000 Americans -- recently was approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.