Comment from Vasculitis Foundation

Vasculitis is a term used to describe a family of 20+ rare conditions characterized by narrowing, weakening, or scarring of the blood vessels, thus restricting blood flow and damaging vital organs and tissues. It can affect any blood vessels throughout the body including arteries, veins, and capillaries and impacts people of all ages and ethnicities. Far too often, misdiagnosis and complications occur because the symptoms of vasculitis are difficult to diagnose as they are so similar to those of many other conditions and because there are so many of them. Vasculitis has few treatments, and many forms of vasculitis have no treatments at all. Of importance to FDA is the fact that vasculitis patients, like others with compromised immune systems, are often unable to receive vaccinations themselves, thus they are particularly vulnerable to communicable viruses like Covid, flu or RSV. In such cases, it is essential that family members and other close contacts be the first and strongest line of defense for the patient. The Vasculitis Foundation has long supported the work of FDA, CDC and other public health efforts to serve and educate the public about the importance of immunizations for themselves and their family, friends, and neighbors who are not able to receive vaccines themselves. In that spirit, we offer our comments for this meeting. Thankfully, we are no longer in the crisis that Covid first thrust upon us, but we are certainly still in need of protection. The Immune Deficiency Foundation has noted that 14 million Americans under 65 are considered immunocompromised, and 58 million over 65 have immune systems that are less effective just by virtue of the aging process. Vasculitis patients are part of this vulnerable population; that is why we are taking this opportunity to comment on the importance of your work to our community. Up-to-date Covid vaccine serum is an essential tool for protecting everyone, especially patients at high risk who cannot receive vaccinations themselves. We urge FDA to continue protecting the public by making certain that Covid, flu and other vital vaccines are updated so that they are effective in combating prevalent viral strains and that they are made available to the public in a timely manner. Moreover, we urge FDA to continue its work in being the leading voice in educating and protecting the public by presenting science-based facts and data that support the vital role that vaccines play in safeguarding us all.