Dr. Biree Andemariam and Lakesha Dickerson - COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Disease: Why It Is So Important to Receive the Vaccine

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a devastating inherited blood disorder that occurs in 1 out of every 365 African American births, impacting more than 100,000 people in the U.S. The community has been severely impacted by the pandemic, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listing SCD as one of the populations most vulnerable to severe illness and death from COVID-19. Joining me to talk about the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on those with SCD, and the importance of receiving the vaccine to ensure patients can effectively manage this chronic illness, Lakesha Dickerson, a family nurse practitioner and Sickle Cell Disease patient and Dr. Biree Andemariam, founding director of the New England Sickle Cell Institute (NESCI) at the University of Connecticut Health Center.