I feel that immunocompromised people are the most impacted and yet the most overlooked

part of the population.

I am 83 and was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 1979.

I've taken strong immunosuppressive medicines since then.

They suppress all my immunity, making me quite susceptible to infection.

During COVID, my wife and I are hermits going nowhere but to get vaccinations and to keep

important medical appointments.

I am not terribly optimistic, but I am well.

When I take my biologic for my Crohn's, I'm a bit more cautious and reclusive to be

safe those first couple weeks.

That said, if I know for sure I'm going to be around people who are also fully vaccinated,

I do not wear a mask as I am trying to get life back to normal.

Even wide, masks are becoming less and less common and remote is no longer an option at

many schools and workplaces.

That puts more than 7 million immunocompromised Americans in a difficult position.

Their weakened immune systems make it much more likely they'll catch COVID and that they'll

get sick or even die.

Mira, Brent and Jeffrey, who we heard from at the start of the show, are some of those

immunocompromised Americans and will hear more from Mira a little later on.

Through the break we'll discuss what the so-called return to normal means for those who are

immunocompromised.

We'll also discuss what we can do to protect the most vulnerable.

...