Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) says people with dementia in residential care and at home must be included in the priority groups for new COVID-19 vaccines.
The international peak body says research show COVID-19 deaths disproportionately affect people with dementia: up to 41% in Australia; 26% of all UK COVID-19 deaths; over 20% in regions of Italy, and in Canada, 85% of all COVID-19 deaths are in long term care, where two-thirds of people have dementia.
As we reported here yesterday, the UK is currently prioritising aged care residents as part of its vaccine rollout, but they must go to hospital hubs to be vaccinated.
“We welcome the UK government’s decision to protect the vulnerable, and often elderly, people who live in care facilities, from COVID-19, by providing front-of-queue vaccine access against the virus,” ADI’s Chief Executive Paola Barbarino explains.
“But globally, we must ensure vaccine access is extended specifically to people with dementia, those living in long term care and those living at home in their communities, who are among the most affected by the virus.”
Not all countries have released data on dementia-COVID-19 deaths, and ADI is also asking Governments to collect and publish these data as a matter of urgency.
