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've just had a chat with my gp about this randomly (not because I was aware of asthma having disappeared from group 6, though maybe not that randomly I guess) but because they've been trying to make a call on whether I should count in the shielding and cev group. I'm in high dose fostair and a blue reliever and last year my asthma went a bit wonky so apparently could count, but the switch to the fostair was just at the end of last shielding and I've been stable ever since, including my usual September and December events. They've made the call to not roll me up as cev which is fair enough I think though I'd love to get a vaccine sooner. If I'd realised asthma may have been shunted out of group 6 I may have argued myself into cev - just kidding but I'd be miffed at myself then thankful I'm not that bad asthma wise.

@Whitecup4

I’m on symbicort and fostair plus I have a blue inhaler and I take montelocust. Would I be in group 6?

When is group 6 getting vaccinations? What group are we currently vaccinating?

Sorry for all the questions

Afaik that should have had you as shielding and in group 4. I wonder if there's a reason you haven't been sent a letter.

A DF of mine was shielding due to fostair and montelukast alone.

I think it depends on the dose of fostair

@ohLookHeKickedtheBall I'm on similar and not classed as ecv. The doctor did think my meds plus 4 courses of steroids would put me on the list but apparently I came in just under.

I’m classed as a moderate asthma patient and take a daily steroid inhaler. I put my details into the Mirror vaccine calculator today and it estimates that I’ll be vaccinated between 28.02 to 24.03 which is earlier than I thought.

The sign in our gps isn't helpful to you but it says paraphrasing, if you have asthma you may fall into cev, cv, or not at all depending on your treatment plan, how well controlled it is ... don't call us, you will be called as appropriate for vaccination depending on what priority you are.

[quote kimlo]@ohLookHeKickedtheBall I'm on similar and not classed as ecv. The doctor did think my meds plus 4 courses of steroids would put me on the list but apparently I came in just under.[/quote]
Tbf I hadn't thought of my asthma as severe enough to be anywhere near the list! I did have a few doses of steroids before they got me on fostair too which I why I think they've been monitoring. But I just assumed I needed different inhalers as that had happened to me when I was younger too, for some reason I don't always seem to get on with puffers.

Government guidance (assuming you mean in England - we've got to put that in all of our thread titles now!) still says severe asthma:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-care-home-and-healthcare-settings-posters/covid-19-vaccination-first-phase-priority-groups

@EmergencyHydrangea

I think it depends on the dose of fostair

I believe this is correct. In the early days of lockdown 1 Asthma UK had to keep changing the advice on their website (presumably as the DoH kept changing guidelines) and at one point it definitely specified specific doses of certain inhalers as being or not being in the shielding group.

I am in group 4 due to severe asthma and had my jab yesterday. I’ve been shielding since the very beginning and have had more letters from Matt Hancock than I can count over the past few months.

I'm on the max dose of Fostair and Revlair(cant remember how to spell) as well as steroids every now and again but I haven't had a letter?

My husband uses the duoresp spiromax one, is that group six does anyone know? Sorry I find all the different ones a bit confusing.

Thank you Athinginitself. I really appreciate you posting the Twitter xx

I’m on 200 for the fostair. That’s the highest dose as far as I know but I’ve never had a letter about shielding or a jab or nothing!

I take fostair but not symbicort, and rarely use my blue inhaler as the asthma is controlled by the fostair, no idea what that means. I just hope I get the vaccine at some point!

@Bluntness100 thats mine, I take it as my only inhaler preventative and releiver and with montelukast and my nurse says 6. But if asthma uk are correct then any steroid inhaler will be group 6 making it the same as the flu jab.

@Whitecup4

I’m on 200 for the fostair. That’s the highest dose as far as I know but I’ve never had a letter about shielding or a jab or nothing!

I think it's high dose inhaler or combination inhaler + another medication + 3 courses of steroids in 6 months. I'm on high dose symbicort, montelukast and had 3 courses of steroids in 6 months but didnt need to shield.

It can't be that because I meet that. This is where my doctors confusion came in I think, asthma was changed a few times and my medication changed between sheilding the forst time and the second.

Athinginitself yes I’m sure you’re correct. I’m on duoresp spiromax, montelukast and tiotropium (spiriva) and have had so many courses of prednisolone over the past couple of years that I’ve long since lost count. I also have permanent spares of prednisolone and antibiotics at home in case of emergencies. I started shielding in March and have been bombarded with letters and texts since then. I posted above to say that I’m in group 4 and had my first jab yesterday. As far as I’m aware it was the tiotropium and crazy amounts of prednisolone that tipped me into the shielding group. I have a friend on Fostair and Montelukast who wasn’t asked to shield. She has been told that she’s in group 6 for the jab though.

I think there's also some movement for a gps/consultants/etc view which may be why some people are being told that severe and shield, and others not severe enough. Woolly definitions don't help anyone work out where they stand though. Nor does if you have a brown inhaler as many of us don't. I definitely get invited and take the flu jab every year though so that criteria I can get behind if that's what gets you into 6.

I’m a Fostair 100 user but I’m pregnant and then I’ll be breastfeeding so even if I was called for the vaccine I won’t be having it yet.

Hello 👋🏻 all! I'm on Seretide 250 Accuhaler and use blue pump when needed. In my 30s and get flu jab also does anyone know what group I maybe in ? Thanks

I’m totally confused as I only have a blue inhaler but have been sent for free flu jab the last 2 years. I also have BMI over 40?
Confused as to what group i’d fall in and why gp sent me for flu jab.

This is news to me - place marking as I take symbicort so I am interested to know the answer!

@kimlo, thank you!

I’m on Fostair, Ventolin and Montelukast and have had three courses of pred since Sept.

Don’t want to get my hopes up of being in group 6 and then be disappointed, but am worried about being stuck waiting until the end of the year for my age group. Viruses tend to make my asthma flare up really badly anyway