Obese people to get the vaccine before healthy 50 year olds.

[Sb2012]

Just something that came through in a newsfeed. Don’t know how accurate. Headline said “ Obese people to get the vaccine before healthy 50 year olds.”
What are your thoughts on this? I’m not sure how I feel tbh. I guess it’s proven that obese people are at a higher risk.
However, what about the under 50 healthy BMI teachers, supermarket workers etc I don’t think it is fair to prioritise an obese 40 year old who works from home or doesn’t work at all over a normal BMI 40 year old teacher, supermarket worker or taxi driver

If the order of those vaccinated was based on need and there was the choice between those vulnerable due to preventable causes and those whose vulnerability is caused by non-preventable reasons, I would give it to the latter group first. People won't be judged on individual cases though.

However obesity can be helped and therefore I’m not sure how I feel about obese people being prioritised over those who work in high risk roles

Therefore obese people deserve to die?

Obese people are parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, volunteers, nurses, teachers, road sweepers and how knows what else. No one deserves to die from covid.

Horrible thread. Dehumanising and upsetting. I'm morbidly obese as I've been struggling with mental health problems and an eating disorder for many years. It breaks my heart to know that I'm worth less than others in the eyes of some. Mumsnet at its very worst.

People with a high BMI get offered a free flu jab too op - how do you feel about that?

@Sb2012 you can have my health condition if you like
Inject yourself once a week and then get flu symptoms after it, faint, sickness, fever, severe bone pain, headaches. Lasts about 24hrs so 6 good days before the next one
Go to hospital every 12 weeks for bloods and to see consultant
Have antibiotics on hand for every UTI, tiny infection, dental appointment
Oh shield for 9 months alone and still going

Do people think we asked for health conditions or something? I was ambling along happily in life and then bang, health condition. Didn't realise I could refuse it

Care homes their residents and their families need to be prioritized. Some of them have had no physical contact for nearly a year.

Well op if you start stuffing yourself now you should be nicely obese by the time the vaccine is rolled out and get priority with the rest of the useless fat fucks. I suppose we were due a fat shaming thread, its been a couple of days.

All this who should get the vaccine first, I'm more deserving than x is so so ugly. There are highly trained scientists with all the actual data weighing up these decisions..let's leave it to them.

You could argue that this decision is based on cold hard economics. The more people who get sick, the more it costs in NHS spending to look after them. So it makes economic sense to make the vaccine investment work

This.

It’s not about who’s individually ‘deserving’ but what takes pressure off the health service most quickly and effectively. We all benefit from this.

With this in mind, some of these less charitable thoughts are best unexpressed.

@MercyBooth

Care homes their residents and their families need to be prioritized. Some of them have had no physical contact for nearly a year.

I agree. Poor souls 🥺

yeah OP There is Christmas in that time so lots of goodies on shop shelves so should come in handy to help you

You could always make yourself morbidly obese I suppose, if you're that desperate to be in a vulnerable group

@Sb2012

DH and I would be the last ones to be vaccinated. Like many others we don’t fall into any of the categories. We have followed all the rules and done everything we can to help protect the vulnerable around us. It’s been miserable for us too even if we don’t complain. I have kids at school and a newborn. I can’t help to think is it fair that whilst everyone else gets vaccinated and back to a normal life, we would still be wearing masks, SD and avoiding elderly family members because we don’t have health conditions or are obese.

Well, in future I will make sure I'm getting my moneys worth using the NHS since I pay lots of NI from my high salary. And taxes too.

Seriously, its called SOCIETY. Don't ever come and ask for something because you are ill, have an accident or simply exist. Your attitude is appealing and very me me me.

@FatCatThinCat - these people have to put us down to feel good about their sorry selves, ignore.

The day we start denying treatment to certain groups is the day the NHS no longer serves the purpose it was created for.

50yos who are otherwise healthy have less of a risk from Covid, so of course those who are obese have the priority over them.

Not only is that the moral thing to do, but it's also sensible - as doing it this way will ultimately save more beds in ICU.

Get a grip.

Yes, get yourself a few tins of chocolates and a couple of dozen mince pies for breakfast tomorrow, you’ll be a fat bastard and elbowing your way to the front of the vaccine queue in no time.

Horrible thread. Dehumanising and upsetting. I'm morbidly obese as I've been struggling with mental health problems and an eating disorder for many years. It breaks my heart to know that I'm worth less than others in the eyes of some. Mumsnet at its very worst.

Its only very ignorant and unthinking people who see things like the OP. Many many of us understand x

We live in a democracy (Apparently). Therefore the schedule wil have been drawn up to give the greatest good to the greatest number of people. I'm low risk - I'm a bit overweight, but not obese.

However, I am a frontline healthcare worker looking after patients with covid. I think it's a miracle that i haven't had covid, given the erm "robust" PPE that we have been provided with, but that's by the by.

Being a frontline worker bumps me right up the list and i will likely be vaccinated within the next 6 weeks. On the one hand, this isn't fair because I'm very low risk, but on the other hand makes sense because the NHS has been running on less than usual capacity since March because of staff having covid/having to self isolate/being off sick with other issues. Is this fair?

I don't envy the Government. I don't love Boris Johnson, but this is all completely unprecedented and I don't know if Keir Starmer or Ed Davey would have done any better.

All three of them would have done what they think is best and provides the greatest good to the greatest number of people at any one time (When it comes to covid only - other issues like BREXIT are separate)

The vulnerability of the severely obese was identified right back at the start, and was one of the CV conditions

Here's a MN thread from back in March discussing it

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3852429-Being-overweight-is-a-underlying-condition

I can’t help to think is it fair...

Is is fair that I was sexually abused and raped repeatedly by my brother?
Is it fair that those repeated rapes led to 2 pregnancies by the age of 18? (I also now realise my Dad was sexually abusive and I'm trying to un-jumble those memories)
Is it fair that my Mum was emotionally, and on occasion physically abusive. Including restricting what food I was allowed?
Is it fair that those above experiences have led to complex mental health issues the medication for which has caused weight gain?
Is it fair that I have other physical issues, as yet undiagnosed (a combination of covid restrictions and anxiety mean i haven't had the tests I need) which contributed to my weight gain?

Would you like to discuss what's fair?

But actually don't worry. I already know I'm a waste of space. I'm only still here because I don't want my children to think I didn't fight to stay alive for them. Once they are grown up... well who knows.

@TheFormerPorpentinaScamander That is heartbreaking. Im so so sorry you have had those horrific experiences

Just something that came through in a newsfeed. Don’t know how accurate. Headline said “ Obese people to get the vaccine before healthy 50 year olds.”
What are your thoughts on this? I’m not sure how I feel tbh.

Surely the first thing to do is find out if this is actually true? My guess is that it is speculation from the Fail, s*n or Sexpress.

@TheFormerPorpentinaScamander

I can’t help to think is it fair...

Is is fair that I was sexually abused and raped repeatedly by my brother?
Is it fair that those repeated rapes led to 2 pregnancies by the age of 18? (I also now realise my Dad was sexually abusive and I'm trying to un-jumble those memories)
Is it fair that my Mum was emotionally, and on occasion physically abusive. Including restricting what food I was allowed?
Is it fair that those above experiences have led to complex mental health issues the medication for which has caused weight gain?
Is it fair that I have other physical issues, as yet undiagnosed (a combination of covid restrictions and anxiety mean i haven't had the tests I need) which contributed to my weight gain?

Would you like to discuss what's fair?

But actually don't worry. I already know I'm a waste of space. I'm only still here because I don't want my children to think I didn't fight to stay alive for them. Once they are grown up... well who knows.

You are definitely not a waste of space. Some people are just twats. I hope things start to feel a bit easier soon

I'm a healthy 50 year old, I'm fine to be back of the queue, no interest in pushing past vulnerable people, however they are vulnerable.

So this!! I'm an overweight 62 year old with absolutely NO desire to push in front of others. This is a really eye opening thread. People really do think that they are worth more than others don't they. Just wait your turn.

I find this thread extremely sad. We are not talking about who should be first in line for the most beautiful, the most fit, or the most attractive.

We are talking about a group with a known increased risk for death or severe disease with Covid.

Somehow, if you are obese, it is your fault and you should now go to the back of the line, or at least a long way back. Really? Is this the world we want?

I think it is fair to say that obesity is a complex condition. Many things contribute. Family dysfunction, trauma, poverty, and other disadvantages contribute. There are medical reasons too. Ask anyone who has had to take prenisolone.

I have never met an overweight person who says they are happy that way. I do not for one second think they go home and gleefully overeat. It is a health and social problem. Yes there is individual responsibility but surely we all know it is not something you just wake up and fix after some sort of revelation about how bad and undeserving you are.

We are all under stress. We are all frightened at least a bit. Can you imagine being the person decides someone is too fat to get the vaccine? Or not fat enough?

I hope we can pull together and get the vaccinations done and hopefully this nightmare behind us.