I have been asked to shield because I had one chest infection in 2001 when I was 8 years old?

[Norwaydidnthappen]

I’m 28 next week with no health conditions and I’ve just received an email asking me to shield. I was obviously totally stumped by this and actually thought it was a spam email to begin with but it contained my NHS number, full name and date of birth so I thought it must be real.

I phoned the GP surgery straight away to ask why I’d received this when I’m in my twenties and have no health conditions so she looked through my records. She said I had an upper respiratory infection in 2001 (so when I was 8 years old) and that’s the only reason she can find. I was completely stumped by this and said ‘so because I had one chest infection I can’t even remember when I was 8 years old I now have to shield?’, she said I do because I’ve been asked to.

Really? I have to shield and will receive a vaccine soon because I had one chest infection I can’t remember 20 years ago? I called my Mum and she couldn’t remember the infection either so was equally as baffled as me. I’ve never had asthma or anything wrong with my chest at all.

What should I do? I really don’t think I need to shield or that I should receive a vaccination any time soon, I’m not vulnerable!

Insanity!

I would do what you have been doing so far!

Shielding isn't compulsory. It has only ever beed advised.

Sounds like a mistake. I've heard of a few people who have been asked to shield when there is nothing wrong with them.

The algorithm that are going through medical records must be throwing anything up that is remotely respiratory, I doubt the computers can thing like humans in a rational way, they just see a word and red flag it.

If you are 100% sure about your health then no i would not shield.

It says I will receive a vaccination appointment soon in the email as well though so now feel a bit guilty I’ll potentially be vaccinated before someone who actually needs it. I don’t know whether I can request to be removed from the list, it just seems really bizarre to me.

It also includes ethnicity, weight and deprivation areas if any of those might be a factor. www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56086965

I mean, it would be optional even if you were severely immunosuppressed or something. Nobody is coming round to nail you into your house.

Just carry on. You can decline the vaccine invite but then you may not get asked again, so you could try one more call to the surgery but otherwise I'd just take up the appointment, as it'll be more of a waste to try to rearrange things than just get jabbed.

White, normal weight and above average income so none of those apply. Like I say, when the receptionist checked all she could see was a chest infection in 2001. It must be a mistake, I don’t really know what I should do about it if anything?

Yet there's me who has mild copd and asthma and the doctors say I don't qualify for the jab in group 6! Think they are making it up as they go along.

it makes no sense then!!

This concerns me as my dd does have dc chest weakness... And a inhaler bit no asthma.. Should she be shielding?

My younger brother has severe asthma and has always used a steroid inhaler but he’s never been asked to shield. He actually caught covid last year but was thankfully ok.

It is worrying, I’m not sure whether I should ignore it or protest a bit about it really! I don’t want to take a vaccine slot away from someone who needs it more than me iykwim.