Can someone clarify the asthma situation?

[Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady]

At first people with asthma were in group 6

Then they weren't

Now apparently people who use a brown preventer inhaler are back in group 6.

I used to use a brown inhaler but was using my blue one too much (asthma was not controlled) so they moved me to symbicort which is a combined inhaler.

So am I on the list for group 6 or not, as I don't use a brown inhaler anymore.

Does anyone know or could link to the guidance?

I'm an asthmatic teacher and did not get to wfh during the first wave. None of us who weren't shielding were afforded any consideration about being 'CV' and were all expected to cover the hub provision along with everyone else. I was just glad the number of kids we were working with was that much smaller.

My colleague is asthmatic and has had it confirmed with her gp that she is in group 6 due to being asthmatic, and is booked in for her jab next week. So I hope my gp treat it the same. I'm on a stronger dose purple combi inhaler, monelukast and take my blue q often.

Some places still doing the over 70s, some obviously doing group 6, some sticking with the JCVI asthma guidelines, some not. I know speed is of the essence but it’s all becoming a bit of a postcode lottery!

From bbc:

*The most severe cases will fall into priority-group four, the "clinically extremely vulnerable", who should have received a letter advising they shield.

And the government has now confirmed the remainder will be included in group six, the clinically "at risk", those usually eligible for a free flu jab.*

Group six, which the government has now confirmed will include all those who need a steroid inhaler or tablets for asthma, will be vaccinated after healthy over-65s but before anyone younger than that without health conditions.

Covid vaccine priority for 'severe' asthma www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56012530

That sounds like good news @WarriorN

I am going to wait until we have more confirmation to believe that. This all started because Asthma UK had supposedly confirmed with the government and then later backtracked.

Saw that on bbc this morning. Great news, looks like I’ll get the vaccine soon then

Was it on BBC breakfast or just on the BBC website? For some reason I'm more inclined to believe it if it was on the Tele

I suppose they didn't want to make promises till they knew they had stock etc. And the new variant was an unforeseen issue.

This is such a fast moving situation.

And the whole thing is bloody amazing in terms of how far they've got.

Does anyone have a source for the change other than the BBC website?

Have they actually updated Ch14a of the Green Book?

@Bluebelle41

I am going to wait until we have more confirmation to believe that. This all started because Asthma UK had supposedly confirmed with the government and then later backtracked.

Exactly.

I saw that on the BBC site, amazing news if so

Felt rather upset and disappointed last night. Feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel now then for that to be taken away and waiting for longer feels rather odd

Just something else I noticed
The NHS website and the information on gov.uk from public health England are contradictory as to what is severe asthma, what is just asthma and what falls in to what bucket in terms of risk groups

It seems quite clear to me? If you use a steroid inhaler, you will be in group 6. Which has to be most asthmatics surely?

That’s what it used to say, now it appears that only people taking steroid tablets regularly are eligible

But the BBC article this morning says that it will be everyone eligible for the flu jab, which includes anyone who takes a steroid inhaler, which would be a much higher number of people.

I'm cautiously optimistic after that BBC article but will wait for asthma UK and JCVI to update their guidance and the green book before I get excited.

There's a lot of comments about this article on asthma UK's twitter thread to update the vaccine news on Tuesday. However, just yesterday afternoon asthma UK were repeating that it wasn't yet known which asthmatics are group 6 and which have to wait to be vaccinated at a later point.

The BBC journalist who wrote the article was on that thread yesterday. So let's see if she has misinterpreted the update or if the position has indeed changed overnight.

My fear is that she may have spoken to whoever at DHSC originally told asthma UK that all asthmatics with a preventer inhaler are in group 6!

It all depends on your definition of steroids, all steroids (everyone on a preventer inhaler) or just steroid tablets. The BBC isn’t clear but the guidance currently only covers those having taken several courses of tablets recently.

I really hope they are backtracking to all of us on steroid inhalers.

the bbc article says most people who take regular steroids will be in 4 and the rest of the people who take regular steroids will be group 6.

Thats oral steroids.

Taking a regular inhaled stroid wont put you in a group in phase 1 unless it's age based. Thats being classed as mild asthma. Even though thats not neccisarily true.

Whole things a mess.

I've just looked again at the BBC article and they've changed it since @WarriorN posted the quote this morning.

this morning it said

group six, which the government has now confirmed will include all those who need a steroid inhaler or tablets for asthma, will be vaccinated after healthy over-65s but before anyone younger than that without health conditions.

It now says

Group six, which the government has now confirmed will include all those who need regular steroids for asthma, will be vaccinated after healthy over-65s but before anyone younger than that without health conditions

So they've removed the word 'inhaler'

Yup only people that are frequently hospitalised by the looks of it and on long term steroids. Can't believe all asthmatics aren't being offered the vaccine higher up the list.

Clearly I spoke too soon. Below is a post I made on another thread on this:

The BBC should really have double checked the position before publishing the article - they've given a lot of CV people hope of a vaccine in group 6 and now dashed that.

So in summary basically:

• in Dec we were told by Asthma UK we were in group 6 unless in group 4 due to shielding
• we then had several weeks of uncertainty as JCVI green book clashed with what Asthma UK advice said
• Asthma UK then gave an update on 9 Feb to say some asthmatics in group 6, others have to wait but not yet clear who gets to be in group 6
• BBC publishes article in early hours of 11 Feb saying asthmatics in group 6 if they have a preventer
• 7 hours later BBC amends article to say it's only some asthmatics in group 6

This has been poorly handled.

@CaffiSaliMali I agree - and I think I'm going to stop looking at the news about this, as the constantly changing position is making me anxious.

[quote Peakedin1997]@CaffiSaliMali I agree - and I think I'm going to stop looking at the news about this, as the constantly changing position is making me anxious.[/quote]
I'm tempted to write to the BBC about their article - they could have waited until working hours today to confirm the position first rather than publishing something completely wrong. Loads of people will have read the article earlier and not seen the update and will think they, or a loved one is in group 6, when they aren't.

The journalist was on the asthma UK twitter threads so will have seen the strength of feeling on the issue and the upset and worry people with asthma have been experiencing.

@CaffiSaliMali just seen this on Twitter from the journalist who wrote it, in response to comments
twitter.com/rachelschraer/status/1359801983306203137

Honestly, I'm going to stop worrying about it, the uncertainty is too stressful. It will happen when it happens