"Business Not as Usual — Covid-19 Vaccination in Persons with Substance Use Disorders"

Persons  with  substance  use  disorders  (SUD)  in  the United States have been disproportionately affected  by  the  Covid-19  pandemic  —  not  only  are  they,  like  patients  with  other  chronic  dis-eases such as diabetes, at increased risk for se-vere  disease  and  death  due  to  Covid,1  but  data  show that overdose deaths have increased during the pandemic.2 Furthermore, there is significant overlap  between  populations  with  SUD  and  those  facing  housing  instability  and  homeless-ness,  domestic  and  sexual  violence,  and  incar-ceration — social conditions that increase Covid risk.3 To date, only persons who use tobacco, not substances such as opioids, are being prioritized for early vaccination.4