Priority group 6. Friend has same medical condition but on the vaccine calculator is much higher up

[user1471530109]

Sorry for the long title. A friend (who is in her 50s) has the same underlying medical condition as I do. I'm 40. We used the online vaccine calculator and it says she is likely to get the vaccine when 4 million -8million have been vaccinated before her. When I do it, it says 11-18million first! All other answers to the questions are identical. We have same job.

So, they are prioritising and breaking down the sub group by age?

Well I assume so, her ages puts her more at risk than you if all other factors are equal?

The calculator isn’t reliable. It’s a guess

Because of your respective ages?

Just noticed you already mentioned ages. Yes that would make sense, surely?

So, they are prioritising and breaking down the sub group by age

Yes. With the over 80s they started with people in their late 80s where they could. I’m sure this will carry on with other groups.

Probably agree, but also the calculator said I'll get mine in the spring. I've already had it. So not an exact science.

Age shouldn’t make a difference. Is your medical condition covered by the vaccination guidelines though?

i wouldnt pay any attention to any vaccine calculator.
are you with the same GP practice?
i am also priority 6 however I guess age must also be taken into consideration

Because the calculator has no basis for the results it churns out.

Well age, obviously. It’s just a guess though.

Is it me or is the vaccine calculator a load of bollocks?

I am certainly not taking it as gospel. I just don't think I'd read that age (other than the ones mentioned in the priority groups) changed group 6 for example. Group 6 is for underlying conditions (we are both diabetic but the question didn't ask that) aged between 16-64.

How many people fall into this category isn't really known, and it's possibly that they might prioritise within it (by age?) or it might just be luck about when the vaccinators get to your patch.

Looks like the calculator might be doing it by age?

What's not clear from me is whether the calculator is working on the basis that jabbing capacity will double at 12 weeks (when all the second shots fall due, and have to be done at same rate as in first 12) or if the rate of first jabs has to go down at that point

Edith, it now says the expected date of first vaccine and then second vaccine. It changes quite regularly from what I can tell. Before Christmas, mine said March. Now it's closer to August. So much for increasing capacity to vaccinate.

Her age will put her above you.

Yes, I did wonder if this 12 weeks business - without mentioning what happens when that 12 weeks is up and effort has to go in to getting all the second jabs done - was to keep spirits up now whilst hoping something will turn up in time to keep the programme running in 12 weeks time

Is she an unpaid carer or something else also?

Yes my understanding is age makes a difference, I’m closer to getting it than my friend, I’m 40s she’s 38

Well there is over 10 years between your ages so that would be the obvious answer surely 🤷‍♀️

Yes OP
They have given priority to over 50s (friend) than over 40s (you) with same medical vulnerability (diabetes) because statistically she is more at risk of dying than you on their broad statistical models.
Same way that over 80s get vaccine before someone who is 79 who falls into over 75s category.

None of it will be exact or individualised but vaccinating everyone is a huge logistical exercise so they have to define and target in broad terms and age is a huge statistically significant factor for covid19

Age is a much bigger risk factor than any underlying condition so of course she is much higher priority. If she’s 10 years older than you, she has something like three times the risk.

I checked the vaccine calculator, I'm sure is very approximate.
I'm CEV in my late 40s, timing of vaccine comes up same whether I'm 50 or 45+ as long as we are under 75 in that calculator. I'm in the 'after 4-8 million group' early Feb 2021 vaccine group.

But age does make difference if you are generally vulnerable group (rather than group 4 clinically extremely vulnerable), so over 50s are given priority- it's a cut off age.

Thank you. Can I just put on the record, I wasn't denying that she should have the vaccine before me. Or that I didn't understand why that might be. But I hadn't seen or head anyone say that the priority group 6 (which is a massive age group 16-64) is being divided up by age too.

My son is 16 and group 6. He gets the same as you.

When I changed the age to 50 the date didn't change?

I'm 40 and when I put unpaid carer in there as I am for my son it get same as well.

I would think it would likely be one group together hence why it incorporates 7 million people.

@user1471530109

Sorry for the long title. A friend (who is in her 50s) has the same underlying medical condition as I do. I'm 40. We used the online vaccine calculator and it says she is likely to get the vaccine when 4 million -8million have been vaccinated before her. When I do it, it says 11-18million first! All other answers to the questions are identical. We have same job.

So, they are prioritising and breaking down the sub group by age?

Who are “they” in this email? The calculator is not official so I wouldn’t take any notice of it.