Can anyone tell me what band my mum is in?

[november90]

She's almost 64 but has atrial fibrillation and has recently started taking blood thinning tablets.

I'm so worried about my mum. She had cancer 5 years ago and ever since she has been consumed with worry about illnesses. Ever since this began she has been too scared to go out. Too scared to leave the house, do the shopping.... do anything. Her anxiety is heartbreaking. If something happened to her next year and this was the last year of her life then I'd never get over it! I would literally sell everything I own to get her the vaccine early so she could stop worrying 🙈 From what I've read though she's quite low on the list?

This might help you work out how long she'll wait. vaccine queue calculator

Did she get a letter asking her to shield? And when is her birthday?
If she was asked to shield then group 4 with first dose by mid February.
Otherwise group 7 (over 60), or group 5 (over 65) on the date she turns 65 if that would bump her up the queue. Current expectations are for groups 5-8 to get first dose by end of March.
Either way, sometime February to early March, not long to stay safe and wait.

I'd guess Group 6.

May I stop and talk about your anxiety here? Am so sorry your mother has been ill, and am sorry she is anxious, but your anxiety on top isn’t going to help. Your response is so heightened and distressed I am concerned for you too. You can’t buy the vaccine for her So don’t worry about that.

Could it help if you reframe your thinking about this? Maybe what she has done is sensible and self-protective, and not wrong at all? I have friends who are ECV and they have done basically the same - reckoning that a year of being indoors is worth the price of long term survival. And now they and your mum will be being vaccinated in the next two to three months! An end is in sight! Your mum is making it through this time in a way that feels safe for her. Focus on the benefits of what she has done for herself and the fact it is almost over, and let yourself feel relieved.

I didn't know if her recent diagnosis would bump her up but it looks like she's band 7 😩
She's not been asked to sheild.... but she's been living a shielded life for the last year bless her!

Boris reckons all over 50s will be done by mid/late March. So someone mid 60s I’d like to think would be done in Feb? 🤷‍♀️ Hopefully she gets it in the next few weeks.

Problem is on an individual basis having the vaccine makes no difference to what you can and can’t do. We will need to wait to see how effective the vaccination programme is for reducing transmission and nhs admission. But it’s likely to be sooner rather than later for restrictions being loosened.

And yes, once she personally has it she might feel happier to go shopping, etc.

Thank you @WorkingItOutAsIGo I'm more a concerned daughter. Me and my mum are so close and it breaks my heart every single day to see her suffer worrying so much. I try to tell her to not watch the news or anything like that but she won't listen. It's really difficult and I just hate to see her suffer so much :(
During the lockdown she's also developed server's arthritis in her knee and can barely walk. He quality of life has been terrible during this past 12 months, I just want her to be happy.

AF is a chronic heart disease so category 6 no? Unless there’s more detailed guidance I’m unaware of.