Advocates warn of 'urgent' COVID vaccine gap for those with severe mental illnesses

Americans with severe mental illnesses are facing an "urgent" gap in getting COVID shots, according to advocates, who say the community has gotten far less attention than other vulnerable groups. Historically, it’s an under-vaccinated population, said Angela Kimball, national director of Advocacy and Public Policy at NAMI. Only 25% of adults with severe mental illness get a flu shot each year, compared with almost 50% of all adults, according to the alliance. “People with more severe mental health conditions have largely been forgotten during this pandemic," Kimball said. "They have been left out of targeted responses.” Kimball said her group has sent multiple letters to the CDC and state health officials and put out a statement to the Biden administration. No one responded. “What we really need to see is outreach and engagement by trusted messengers, community organizations and those that serve people with mental health conditions, and we really haven’t seen that kind of engagement yet," Kimball said. "We need the federal government to provide resources and guidance to encourage that to happen, and then at the state level, public health departments really need to think about this population."