We are now several weeks into the new year. The good news is that we now have COVID-19 vaccines approved. The bad news is that the vaccines are not getting to people quick enough, especially to those with lung cancer who are at an increased risk because of co-morbidities.

Both lung cancer and COVID-19 affect the lungs. For our community, the math is simple:

Lung Cancer + COVID-19 = Twice the Problem

That’s why we join with members of the All Cancers Congress, a group of cancer non-profits dedicated to working together for the benefit of all cancer patients, in recommending that state-level vaccine policies prioritize patients with lung cancer and other cancers. Then, as more vaccine doses are made available, these patients will have earlier access should they choose to be vaccinated after discussion with their healthcare providers of the associated risks and benefits.

We also are urging close coordination to ensure that cancer patients who receive the first dose of a multi-dose regime are ensured timely receipt of the second dose to obtain the full benefit of the protection. GO2 for Lung Cancer is aligned with the recent statement on this topic by the COVID-Lung Cancer Consortium.

Here’s what we know. As of January 7, we had at 21.3 million COVID-19 cases in the US, with 361,312 deaths. We also know that as of January 6, approximately 5.3 million people in the US have received at least one vaccine dose, far short of the goal federal officials had set. Our recent COVID-19 update covers these topics and provides a comparison of available vaccines and discusses the new COVID-19 variants.

The health and well-being of our community are front and center. As we work our way through this pandemic, we will continue to strongly advocate for the needs of patients with lung cancer.

Whatever it takes. Whatever the need. We get it done together.


Bonnie J. Addario
Co-Founder, and Board Chair

Laurie Fenton Ambrose
Co-Founder, CEO and President