The CAP, along with the members of the Cancer Leadership Council, urged congressional leaders to move quickly to approve additional resources for the nation’s COVID-19 response.

Lawmakers in early April initially reached a deal for an additional $10 billion in COVID funding, well short of the $22.5 billion in emergency funds that President Joe Biden had requested. The $10 billion would come from unspent funds from the American Rescue Plan. Half of the money will be used on vaccines and testing while the other half will go toward therapeutics. The deal did not include any money for global efforts to combat the virus.

However, the deal fell apart due to a separate action by the administration concerning the pandemic and immigration policy. The deal could still move forward as the $10 billion agreement would be fully paid for.

The Cancer Leadership Council’s Requests

In an April 1 letter to leaders in the House and Senate, the Cancer Leadership Council noted that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over for many cancer patients, including those who are immunocompromised because of their disease or treatment. There are additional tools that can be used by the immunocompromised, including certain monoclonal antibodies and antiviral treatments, but the products are in short supply and will dwindle further without additional federal funds to purchase them. In addition, rapid, high-quality testing is still needed to identify patients eligible for therapy and ensure that patients are receiving the most appropriate care for their clinical circumstances.

“Please act immediately to ensure that cancer patients and other immune compromised individuals have access to tests, vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, antiviral therapies and other tools to identify, prevent or treat COVID-19 infections,” the council writes. “More federal funds are the key to protecting access for the immune compromised, for whom the pandemic may never be over.”

The council also requested that funds remain available for a strong public health response to the pandemic, including clear communication to immunocompromised individuals to help them managed the risks of COVID-19 and clear communication to the public regarding the vulnerabilities and needs of immune compromised people.

The Cancer Leadership Council includes the CAP and 15 other groups, including the American Society for Radiation Oncology, the Association for Molecular Pathology and the Cancer Support Community.