FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - Asthma is now on the list of pre-existing conditions patients can have to qualify for a COVID-19 vaccination, according to new changes made by Gov. Charlie Baker Wednesday.
Baker said he has been following CDC guidelines but added asthma to the list in an effort to get vaccines into minority communities.
Two inhalers and a nebulizer help Cara DiBenedetto breathe. The 48-year-old East Boston mom said she has been suffering from asthma since childhood and for her, this year has been one of the toughest.
“I’ve been in a position where I’ve passed out and had to go into the hospital because of it and it is scary,” she said. “I know its a real possibility if I catch COVID that I could die because of my underlying health conditions.”
When the state rolled out its vaccination program, DiBenedetto said she expected to be among the first to get a shot.
However, at that time, asthma was not considered to be one of the two medical conditions a person had to have to get the vaccine.
“Rightfully so patients are very worried because of this inflammation in their lungs so they’re saying you know, ‘Why am I not at the top of the list,” explained Brigham & Women’s Hospital Allergist Dr. Lakiea Wright.
DiBenedetto reached out to Baker on Twitter, writing: “Please consider adding asthma to the list! I have barely left my house in a year for fear COVID19 would cause my already fragile lungs permanent damage, if it doesn’t outright kill me.”
Baker showed he heard the outcry when he expanded the list to include moderate to severe asthma.
“We view it as much as an equity issue as a medical issue,” he said.
According to studies conducted by the CDC in 2017, Black people had a significantly higher rate of emergency department visits for asthma than white people did.
The CDC’s most recent data also shows more than 558,000 adults in Massachusetts are living with the condition.
“Massachusetts has also identified moderate to severe asthmas as an eligible medical condition because of the disproportionate impact it has on communities of color,” Secretary of Health and Human Services MaryLou Sudders said.
Attorney General Maura Healey praised the addition.
“Asthma is something that we know affects members of the black community. It’s why I joined with Ayanna Pressley in calling for listing asthma as a known comorbidity in which vaccine priority should be there,” she said.
Healey said despite this, there is still more that needs to be done as more appointments come online.
“If we don’t every day find ways to deliver far greater percentages of vaccinations to our black and brown communities, we are only going to see race disparities grow in this state,” she said. “That is unacceptable to me. That would be a shame.”
DiBenedetto said she is now breathing a sigh of relief.
“I appreciate that he looked into asthma specifically and said we need to bump these people up because it’s gonna be worse for them,” she said. “So I’m grateful.”
Come Thursday, patients must be at least 16 years of age and suffer from two comorbidities on the list to get a shot.
Qualifying comorbidities include cancer, COPD, kidney disease, Down’s syndrome, heart conditions, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, sickle cell disease, and Type 2 diabetes, and asthma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than 1 million additional people are now eligible to get vaccinated.
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