A New Jersey man living with cancer is questioning why people with serious illnesses are not higher in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Chris Treubert, 52, deals with chronic pain every day from stage four pancreatic cancer. When he was diagnosed in 2019, he learned that the cancer had spread to his liver and spine. 

Treubert tries to not let his illness slow him down, so when he gets the chance, he’s on his boat fishing near his home in Neptune.

Now Treubert is speaking up for people like himself who have a compromised immune system.

“I do want to get the vaccine and my doctor says if I can get it,” says Treubert. “The problem is they can’t get their hands on it.”

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Treubert believes health care workers should be first in line but says why not prioritize people with serious illnesses for Phase 1B.

"So, they vaccinate a doctor, an oncologist, but we are not taking care of the patients they take care of,” says Treubert. “It doesn't make sense. We are at a higher risk than most of the population and I’ve heard we are three times more likely to contract the COVID virus.”

Treubert says he has tried to get on the state’s vaccination portal and attempted to register for the injection, but the website hasn’t allowed him access. For now, he must wait until March. He hopes state leaders will hear his plea and similar calls coming from doctors to get access to the vaccine.