To be gutted re vaccine groups and asthma?

[1starwars2]

I have been generally positive and very careful throughout, but I feel really thrown by the news that asthmatics have been removed from group 6 of the Covid vaccine schedule.
I have been literally checking my phone for a text invite as our local surgery announced they were starting vaccinating grp 6 and sending out text invites.
Now I will not be in any of the first 9 groups, and my asthma has been crap for the last year.
A lot of asthmatics have been voluntarily shielding, and looking forward to vaccination and it seems a bit unfair to kick us out of the vaccination schedule now.
I would like to be pleased that it looks like asthmatics might be at no more risk of dying, but I don't feel that would apply to me, and am surprised at those findings.
I generally develop a chest infection, (I have had pneumonia and pleurisy in the last few years) with any cold. I am scared of covid, and it's a genuine fear not anxiety.

"but seems to have much more of an impact on the cardiovascular system so those with cardiovascular disease and diabetes are the ones at greater risk."

Tell this to my GP

@DavidsSchitt

"but seems to have much more of an impact on the cardiovascular system so those with cardiovascular disease and diabetes are the ones at greater risk."

Tell this to my GP

Why? People with diabetes and cardiovascular disease are in priority six.

@belladonna12

Because a lot of people online in the last week or so have said that they have been offered an appointment for a vaccine due to their asthma and they don't meet the criteria of a previous hospital admission or 3 courses of steroids in a 3 month period. They also aren't entitled to one due to age.

Others on the same meds, or higher treatment level meds have asked their GP in the last couple of weeks if they are eligible for group 6 and been told no.

Some areas started vaccinating people in group 6 earlier and have already vaccinated some asthmatics.

There is a long running asthma thread in the Covid section where some have said they have been offered the vaccine and others have said their GP has said they can't have the vaccine. Similar on Asthma UK's Twitter and facebook comments.

[quote CaffiSaliMali]@belladonna12

Because a lot of people online in the last week or so have said that they have been offered an appointment for a vaccine due to their asthma and they don't meet the criteria of a previous hospital admission or 3 courses of steroids in a 3 month period. They also aren't entitled to one due to age.

Others on the same meds, or higher treatment level meds have asked their GP in the last couple of weeks if they are eligible for group 6 and been told no.

Some areas started vaccinating people in group 6 earlier and have already vaccinated some asthmatics.

There is a long running asthma thread in the Covid section where some have said they have been offered the vaccine and others have said their GP has said they can't have the vaccine. Similar on Asthma UK's Twitter and facebook comments.[/quote]
That may be because some GPs are more aware that the guidelines have changed in others. That will probably change with all the publicity. GPs will be exercising their own clinical judgement and while someone might not meet the exact criteria for severe asthma they may feel that the person does have severe asthma and so they will decide that person needs to be vaccinated.

YABU
Everyone can't be higher priority than every

There will be enough vaccine for everybody who wants it

@belladonna12

Basically there has been confusion over the vaccine eligibility.

DHSC falsely told Asthma UK in December that asthmatics entitled to a flu jab were in group 6.

Many asthmatics understandably believed this as Asthma UK said it was true.

Then a few weeks ago Asthma UK said it had been told the above but was 'urgently seeking clarity'. This lead to confusion. So asthmatics started asking their GP if eligible. Some who don't meet the eligibility criteria eventually set out on Saturday were told yes, others were told no.

Some were vaccinated early. Some were offered appointments before confirmation on Saturday, some after confirmation even though they didn't meet the criteria.

So basically it seems that some GPs are taking a 'no-one outside of the criteria' approach and others are offering appointments to those outside the criteria, either deliberately or because they haven't understood the guidance.

Some areas started vaccinating people in group 6 earlier and have already vaccinated some asthmatics.

GPs only got the letter stating that only those with severe asthma should be vaccinated at the weekend so they wouldn't necessarily have known that they weren't in group 6 last week.

That may be because some GPs are more aware that the guidelines have changed in others. That will probably change with all the publicity. GPs will be exercising their own clinical judgement and while someone might not meet the exact criteria for severe asthma they may feel that the person does have severe asthma and so they will decide that person needs to be vaccinated.

That's why people are a bit miffed - it seems to depend on the view of your GP. Some people offered an appointment due to asthma don't take a preventer and haven't for years whereas others with moderate asthma and multiple add on treatments have been refused one.

Clear guidance sooner would have saved distress.

The worst is that we were assured in good faith that we were eligible when we weren't, with no acknowledgement of the upset this has caused.

The word is that the vaccine programme is going so fast that it looks like the first phase would be finished in mid March, two months early. So there is not much delay in practice, even if it is frustrating right now. Hang on for a few more weeks...

So basically it seems that some GPs are taking a 'no-one outside of the criteria' approach and others are offering appointments to those outside the criteria, either deliberately or because they haven't understood the guidance.

I think it's more the fact that GPs have only just found out the exact criteria for group 6 and that only those with severe asthma are on it. If they started vaccinating group 6 early , those who had already received appointments will get the vaccine anyway but probably not otherwise.

@CaffiSaliMali

That may be because some GPs are more aware that the guidelines have changed in others. That will probably change with all the publicity. GPs will be exercising their own clinical judgement and while someone might not meet the exact criteria for severe asthma they may feel that the person does have severe asthma and so they will decide that person needs to be vaccinated.

That's why people are a bit miffed - it seems to depend on the view of your GP. Some people offered an appointment due to asthma don't take a preventer and haven't for years whereas others with moderate asthma and multiple add on treatments have been refused one.

Clear guidance sooner would have saved distress.

The worst is that we were assured in good faith that we were eligible when we weren't, with no acknowledgement of the upset this has caused.

I agree that it would be better if there was clear guidance sooner. That's not the GPs fault though . Also, some of the delay is due to the fact that who is and isn't considered at risk of severe Covid has changed as the pandemic is gone on.

@LexMitior

The word is that the vaccine programme is going so fast that it looks like the first phase would be finished in mid March, two months early. So there is not much delay in practice, even if it is frustrating right now. Hang on for a few more weeks...

It will start to slow now though as some people are due second vaccinations. Plus there is a scheduled delay in the Pfizer vaccine.

@Belladonna12

So basically it seems that some GPs are taking a 'no-one outside of the criteria' approach and others are offering appointments to those outside the criteria, either deliberately or because they haven't understood the guidance.

I think it's more the fact that GPs have only just found out the exact criteria for group 6 and that only those with severe asthma are on it. If they started vaccinating group 6 early , those who had already received appointments will get the vaccine anyway but probably not otherwise.

JCVI green book has said severe asthma for group 6 since December but it wasn't clear what severe asthma meant (severe asthma was also the criteria for group 4).

I think some GPs saw Asthma UK guidance that severe asthma in group 6 was the flu vaccine group and have interpreted that way. Whereas others didn't and decided severe asthma was a diagnosis of severe asthma or devised their own definition.

The comfort is at least that vaccination is going fast so hopefully the delay won't be too bad.

On a personal level I am gutted as I have a complex medical history with two rare genetic disorders plus a load of other conditions. One genetic disorder is very rare so not much data to advise on my risk or lack thereof due to it as there aren't many of us in the UK. I also have difficult to control asthma with two add on treatments so I thought I would be vaccinated soon and could relax a little mentally.

I think some GPs saw Asthma UK guidance that severe asthma in group 6 was the flu vaccine group and have interpreted that way. Whereas others didn't and decided severe asthma was a diagnosis of severe asthma or devised their own definition.

They would have had to use their own clinical judgement as there wasn't strict criteria last week as group 6 were not officially being vaccinated yet. Now the criteria is clearer but even then there will be some clinical judgement involved.

How will these criteria work for immigrants and returned British expats? My DB who now lives in U.K. has asthma and was in and out of hospital as a child, on prednisone constantly as a teen, and diagnosed with COPD (chronic bronchitis) aged 15 but he wasnt in the U.K. using the NHS then. He emigrated there age 27. As far as they know, he just has inhaled steroid inhaler plus preventer inhaler.

@PlanDeRaccordement

How will these criteria work for immigrants and returned British expats? My DB who now lives in U.K. has asthma and was in and out of hospital as a child, on prednisone constantly as a teen, and diagnosed with COPD (chronic bronchitis) aged 15 but he wasnt in the U.K. using the NHS then. He emigrated there age 27. As far as they know, he just has inhaled steroid inhaler plus preventer inhaler.

Why assume they won't know any details of his medical conditions just because it was diagnosed abroad?! If he is registered with a doctor in the UK they will have details of his medical history including the COPD and he will be in priority group 6.

An update from Asthma UK after the vaccine minister wrongly said this morning that asthmatics with a steroid inhaler are in group 6:

mobile.twitter.com/asthmauk/status/1361646755956346885

The comments are interesting - more people saying they've been told their hospital admission wasn't recent enough so they are not entitled even though Asthma UK say it's people who have ever had an admission, not a recent one.

Someone has also been told that 'has ever had 3 courses of tablet steroids in a 3 month period' means 'has had 3 courses of steroids in the last 3 months'.

This whole thing has been handled badly from the false info DHSC gave Asthma UK in December onwards.

The comments are interesting - more people saying they've been told their hospital admission wasn't recent enough so they are not entitled even though Asthma UK say it's people who have ever had an admission, not a recent one.

In the original Asthma UK advice it actually did specify it was within the previous year... they then changed it to any hospital admission for CEV status. This was way back in March last year.

@Belladonna12 I think it's more the fact that GPs have only just found out the exact criteria for group 6 and that only those with severe asthma are on it

I have seen on google for about two months, about severe asthma only, being the criteria.

I have written to my doctor and given all the information on my previous hospital admissions. They have now offered me the jab.

Whoever said it is based on having a brown inhaler; that makes no sense. Many of the stronger preventer inhalers aren’t brown. Brown is often quite a weak preventer for people with mild asthma.

[quote lightand]**@Belladonna12* I think it's more the fact that GPs have only just found out the exact criteria for group 6 and that only those with severe asthma are on it*

I have seen on google for about two months, about severe asthma only, being the criteria.[/quote]
Yes, but the criteria for those with asthma who should be in priority groups six is only just been defined.

Many of the stronger preventer inhalers aren’t brown. Brown is often quite a weak preventer for people with mild asthma.

Indeed. I am on Fostair 100/6 which is a hot pink colour. It also has a handy counter which tells me how many puffs I have left.

There are lots of different types of preventer inhaler and combination inhaler (a preventer steroid combined with a long acting broncholidator) and lots of different colours.

I don't know any asthmatics IRL not on the standard brown Clenil preventer other than myself. Same applies to taking an LTRA like Montelukast.

I used to have a brown inhaler but still got wheezy very often, and was moved onto Seretide (purple) inhaler several years ago. When the shielding list was originally published last year, Seretide was listed as one of the drugs that classed you as CEV, albeit at a higher dose than I take.

Talk to your doctor, if they fell you need to be group 6 they will have pushed for it. I’m asthmatic and happy to wait my turn.

YABU. They are constantly learning about this virus and that means things change. I don’t really understand how people don’t seem to understand this. They will change advice and criteria to fit those changes. It’s not ideal but we will continue to adapt as we find out more, through trial and error. Be pleased you aren’t at more risk.