Shielders/ECV not getting the vaccine

[SunKeepsShining]

Disclaimer- I’m feeling momentarily grumpy and sorry for myself.
We have shielded totally since March, to the extent DH has shielded with me. He has changed to WFH and if he couldn’t he was going to quit to do so. My doctors have told me not to do anything even see them. We have not been to shops/cafes etc.

We saw everyone go on holiday and out to eat in the summer, we couldn’t even risk going to a self catered place. We were seeing people outside at a distance but that was stopped. But feeling unreasonably jealous others still get to see people and other humans at the shops/work/even seeing another human at school pick up and drop off. But we’re not legally allowed to say hello to someone outside. So we hung on for Christmas, but we were clearly no fun as we could only see people outside. No one wanted to meet up with us, immediate family chose to see their friends inside over us. I don’t think that relationship will be repairable after being told that. But I can understand why you would want to see friends inside who your kids can play with. Friends liked coming to us outside before when rules allowed as we had patio heaters/comphy chairs and provided hot drinks in disposable cups. Seeing everyone meet their friends in the park still and we can’t sucks. But of course other friends wouldn’t want to see us when other friends where inside friends who you could get drunk with all day.

Anyway. Despite shielding we are only in group 4 for vaccines. I absolutely believe NHS staff should go first and then care home staff. But I don’t understand why I have to wait until the over 70’s have had theirs? They said us shielding people weren’t being admitted in great numbers. No fucking shit. All the groups that I am on no one has stopped shielding all year, to the extent of pulling their kids from school to homeschool to protect adults at home. Even now shielding is reinstated but Doris who is 75 can still go to the supermarket library and church but I can’t. Doris also spent all summer going round to her neighbours for tea and biscuits and company. If Doris was more at risk than me she would be told to shield again, but she isn’t. June it’s predicting I get my vaccine and Feb 2022 for DH.

Like I said, just feeling sorry for myself, everyone wants the vaccine and I absolutely think NHS first and care homes second, but surely then then most vulnerable not just age. But like I said, I just need a good cry and not to feel jealous of everyone who’s been on holiday this year and our for a meal or to a shop or even the fucking post office. I can’t even get my meal boxes from mindful chef any more as you can’t wipe the fuckers down. I was just angry at the last tier which allowed people to meet in a pub but not in my safely distanced garden, when going in a pub would possibly kill me. I know it’s because most people can’t be trusted and would walk through a house or use a toilet. End rant. Don’t even know what I’m asking. But I’ve gone from being an active member of society to now someone who if it came to it wouldn’t get an ITU bed in current climate where I usually do.

I get your frustration, although it's not like once people have had the vaccine they are just going back to normal life. You'd still have to be really careful until everyone is vaccinated.

I think there's perhaps a pragmatic element to it as well. You're shielding. Yeah, it's rubbish, but you're doing it. I am going to generalise here, but lot of the over-70's in my experience have had a very Devil-May-Care attitude to all of this and have been determined to go about their normal business anyway whilst the rest of us rush around trying to protect them!

So pragmatically, Doris needs the vaccine ASAP to stop her being a risk to herself and others with her daft behaviour!

June it’s predicting I get my vaccine and Feb 2022 for DH.

If these dates came from the Omni calculator I think you can safely ignore them. The results that calculator is returning would only make sense if the UK had a population many times greater than it actually does. Try the Times one instead it seems more realistic - you might need to set up a free account to use it. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/when-will-i-get-the-covid-vaccine-find-your-place-on-uk-priority-list-with-our-calculator-9kxqdlh6k

[quote SaskiaRembrandt]June it’s predicting I get my vaccine and Feb 2022 for DH.

If these dates came from the Omni calculator I think you can safely ignore them. The results that calculator is returning would only make sense if the UK had a population many times greater than it actually does. Try the Times one instead it seems more realistic - you might need to set up a free account to use it. www.thetimes.co.uk/article/when-will-i-get-the-covid-vaccine-find-your-place-on-uk-priority-list-with-our-calculator-9kxqdlh6k[/quote]
I agree that the Omni calculator is useless. My husband is frontline NHS with a health condition, the calculator says he will have his vaccination in April. He has already had it.

For my specific conditions even me being vaccinated and him getting it and giving it to me mildly would finish me off or not get me the specialist care in a full hospital.

But then how will you be able to stop shielding, and be in public places/ small groups within the guidelines? Even if you and your DH were vaccinated by summer a large swathe of the population won't be for a long time, so they would still pose a risk to you?

I am sorry, covid massively fucking sucks I'm CV (which is bad enough) and my mum is ECV so I do get it - her doctors haven't decided yet if she can even have the bloody vaccine so I'm trying not to think about that yet.

@Lemonpiano

Category 6 is 16-64 year olds with serious underlying health conditions

Thanks and @FuzzyPuffling I was thinking children were under 18

I have a feeling that one of the vaccines (not OxAZ but can't remember which one) is being tested on 12year olds and older children.

CaptainMyCaptain My son is also frontline NHS and he gets the same result as your DH, but he has also already been vaccinated.

It's terrible, he keeps phoning to talk to me about our lord and saviour, Bill Gates

@Happychristmashohoho Children 16 and 17 who are shielded will be getting vaccinated as far as I'm aware.
I know a few of that age with the same condition as my son who have been told they are getting it.

[quote CaptainMyCaptain]**@CaptainMyCaptain shielders are being in the same group as over 70’s. Being done at the same time.
Yes. So you will be getting the vaccine. Your thread title says you won't be getting it.[/quote]
Yes i missed that out when I wrote it with tears in my eyes, but I think in my OP I explained we were being done at the same time.
Anyway, I’ve had a real life cry, I know so many people are in a worse situation and I know I was totally deflecting and shouting into the ether in the hope someone heard, and someone did and that made all the difference. Deflecting on the unfairness of the vaccine as amongst many other shit things as I’ve had medical treatment delayed during covid my lifespan has been reduced and we can no longer have children. So that why I was also angry and deflecting and thanks to the posters that realised I wasn’t being a total shit for not falling on my sword and saying I would give up my dose for my parents. I am usually a sensible level and caring person who does anything for anyone, I just needed a hug.

@FuzzyPuffling
Pfizer are testing on older children. My son is only 6 though.

@AbsentmindedWoman we won’t be able to stop shielding this year likely, and I think that’s part of the realisation that this isn’t going to end when lockdown ends for other people. The fear of catching it in hospital for other treatment is horrendous.

I totally understand OP. Im so fed up now, it's like a prison sentence.
I just want my life back 😢

@wildraisins I think everything you’ve said is correct. I think that’s also why I was struggling, seeming lots of people on Facebook in that age group identity as shielding, but then saying they’d been to get their weekly hair cut, been to the cafe for breakfast etc. And then other people think that’s what shielding means and we are just being over the top!

for you and the DH who has shielded without you. My dad has shielded on his own (seen people outside only). He is over 80, and despite a lifetime of service to others ( he was volunteering until a year ago) he hasn’t asked for a vaccine. Waiting his turn. Please be kind to yourself, and Doris and he-Doris’s too.

[quote SunKeepsShining]@wildraisins I think everything you’ve said is correct. I think that’s also why I was struggling, seeming lots of people on Facebook in that age group identity as shielding, but then saying they’d been to get their weekly hair cut, been to the cafe for breakfast etc. And then other people think that’s what shielding means and we are just being over the top![/quote]
Might it help you to reframe this? Yes, some very vulnerable people are taking risks and doing things you feel you can’t. Sadly, some of these people will catch COVID and some will become very sick and die. You are doing this to protect yourself and you are doing it well and successfully. Perhaps try to focus on this when you see people out and about rather than feeling angry with them.

[quote SunKeepsShining]@AbsentmindedWoman we won’t be able to stop shielding this year likely, and I think that’s part of the realisation that this isn’t going to end when lockdown ends for other people. The fear of catching it in hospital for other treatment is horrendous.[/quote]
Genuine question - if you are vaccinated, why wouldn't you be able to stop shielding when everyone else does?

How can the relevant bodies say they dont know the death rates of shielders? Every day they tell us most of the people who died that day had pre existing conditions. So either they were pre existing conditions that arent on the shielded list and should be or they were on the list?

The preexisting conditions include eczema. I have eczema and I’m not shielding.

Because "pre existing conditions" and "shielding" are two different things.

The shielding list is quite short and very specific. Pre existing conditions can be absolutely anything else. (including diabetes or chronic heart or kidney disease)

As alluded to above, the Omni calculator is returning wrong results atm... make sure you have toggled the settings (click Advanced to do this) and set it so that it's calculating for a vaccination rate of 2m a week. The gov are saying this is what they are ramping up to in next few weeks (rather than 1m/wk as is Omni default setting) so should return a more realistic result!

When I checked today (30s, no clinical problems) it initially said I'd get it July 2022 - I then changed settings to calculate it based on vaccinating 2m per week and it said it'll be Sept/Oct 2021.

Have a look at the different settings. :-)

It is s

I’m ECV, over 50 and working in a Secondary school. I should be shielding but have chosen not to because the students need me. I still won’t get the vaccine any earlier though !

Op at the moment they dont know if it will stop transmission and it doesnt look like it stops them getting it so realisically your dp vax probably doesnt make that much difference to your risks, also unless you intend on never going to restaurants/pubs etc once you are vaxxed.
I think this will also be an issue for my 70+ parents. We wont be vaxxed and certainly not the Gc. So high possibility of giving it to each other.
We are supposed to go on holiday together in jul...
There must also be lots of families where say the man is older and might start going back to the pub after his vax leaving the wife at say 69 more exposed.
I do think the vax list is a bit of a mess.
Mainly because the woh workers should really be prioritised over wfh or retired. Although for elderly or those with carers or health issues it's hard to completely shield. My parents have had to go to the dentist or hospital.
Worst case scenario i think is a vax that doesnt reduce transmission. As there will be even more virus and asymptomatic spread. also india has already got 50m doses ready surely we can make enough for all our population in the next 9m!!
It's all pretty rubbish for shielded kids . And anyone under 50 who will repeatedly catch covid

[quote ofwarren]@Happychristmashohoho Children 16 and 17 who are shielded will be getting vaccinated as far as I'm aware.
I know a few of that age with the same condition as my son who have been told they are getting it.[/quote]
Does it include 16-17 year old who aren’t shielded but have medical conditions eg heart, liver or kidney probs?

@Fingfoxes

You have my sympathy OP. I am on level 6, I think, but that depends on GP having correct records and I still need to tell them I am a bit fatter than before also, but I imagine they have had a few chancers claiming to be obese when they aren't so who knows if that will make a difference.

I think they are wrong not to include compassionate grounds in priority levels. There are some unique circumstances that don't fit in the priority levels that GPs are quite capable of assessing. Has anyone else heard if compassionate grounds are being included? We have a fairly unique family situation causing mental harm that can only be resolved by vaccination.

GPs cannot alter the priority group someone is placed in. They already used their discretion to place people in the original High risk/shielding/ECV groups on which the current priority 4 is based.

Priority 6 includes morbidly obese (BMI 40+).

I work in a GP surgery as a nurse and we are getting so many calls each day from people wanting to be bumped up the list for various reasons. Priority 4 is already pretty high and will get the vaccine in the next few months.

I'm sorry though OP, it does sound like it's been a shit year for you (and many of our shielding patients) and you're absolutely allowed a little rant.