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?

That's interesting as that's exactly what my Gp friend said, re flu jab category and asthma.

I'm on Fostair 200 and ventolin as needed.

Well I get the flu jab but only have steroid inhaler so... I don't know.

Thanks User7777

Will have to wait and see if I'm offered one, it does sound like different surgeries are interpreting it differently.

The Asthma UK advice is pretty clear, though, isn’t it? That would put me in Group 6 and I’m overjoyed to think it might be the case.

Unfortunately the asthma uk advice is contradicted by the green book and the advice by the JCVI which is what Drs will go by. Both of these currently state that only asthmatics with 4 x oral tablet steroids or hospital admission get the vaccine in any of the priority groups (so group 4 and group 6)

If people aren't happy about this- I'm certainly not as you may have noticed - we need to start complaining. The government have already u turned several times on vaccine priority but womt do it without pressure.

I’ve seen Asthma UK have recently added this on Twitter, they need to get a move on and make things clear as some places are starting to invite group 6, or close to doing so

Oh this is really worrying, I'm not 50 yet so if I don't get the vaccine due to my asthma (and high blood pressure, although I don't think that counts), it will be ages. If I was on the next dose up of my inhaler I would have been shielding, so surely that's enough to put me into group 6? If it's not then why have I been worrying myself stupid all year?

I've promised to go back to the office once I've been vaccinated (am too scared to now) plus I really want to be able to help my CEV daughter-in-law look after my grandson (she has been vaccinated). The thought of having to wait indefinitely is so depressing.

Good to see that Asthma UK are looking into this and will hopefully provide clarity.

My fear is that there will be huge pressure to open everything up once priority groups 1-9 have had their first dose 'because the vulnerable have been vaccinated' but that a sizable group of people who the NHS say are clinically vulnerable won't have been.

@TheDarkestTimeline yes I worry about this too, I am not as bad as some here, but do come under the flu jab category, and coughs are generally one of my asthma triggers, so I feel anxious about getting Covid, particularly as I am over 40 which also seems to carry a reasonable degree of risk.

If they have decided asthma is really not an increased risk, this needs to be clearly communicated.

I know someone with mild asthma who ended up hospitalised with Covid. Mercifully they are fine now.

Someone else I know with asthma who had Covid in March is now struggling with long Covid symptoms.

Like Eccles colds and flu are a massive trigger for me. I wasn't diagnosed with asthma until I was 29 (I was told my breathing was just under the threshold for asthma as a child). However I have a long history of multiple chest infections every year going back to when I was small and coughs which take months to shift.

I can't imagine Covid not triggering asthma symptoms in me. I had an asthma attack before lockdown 1 due to a chest infection which took weeks and two courses of antibiotics to shift.

I have been having phone GP appointments throughout the last year for another issue and have been reminded by 4 different GPs and 2 consultants that my asthma makes me vulnerable. I would love to see evidence that it doesn't make me vulnerable - it would reduce DH and I's anxiety a bit.

I feel the key issue is that one month you can have "mild asthma" and be on ventolin and clenil (brown) as the basic treatment for asthma.

The next month you can have had a really bad infection and be hoiked up to all sorts of fancier inhalers and medications as well as having had oral steroids etc.

A friend of mine was exactly in this situation this time last year (not Covid.) as she's now been found to have airway remodelling (via the chest X-rays she had when she had the infection) she is now likely to get the vaccine earlier.

My point is, we don't know the impact it will have. There's different types of asthmatics, a colleague told me viruses don't cause her issues whereas pollen and dust does. I'm the exact opposite.

Mine was late onset though I recognise that I've actually had the symptoms mildly all my life, particularly in the winter and with viruses.

I agree with you @WarriorN. Asthma isn't static for many people. I'm currently on the least amount of preventive medicine for quite a long time, this is because lockdown and maternity leave mean I can avoid my main triggers. When life is more normal this isn't the case and therefore I need more medication.

I hope the situation is clarified soon.

This is potentially reassuring? The underlying part? Or is non oral Stroud asthma not even that now?

Or is that the group 6 but the others have been spread out a bit?

Yes that’s group 6, the yellow area is groups 1-4

I thought the new UK variant was causing more lung issues. That is what my cousin was told when he was admitted to hospital a couple of weeks ago with covid - he had a double lung infection. If this is the case, I would think it would be more important to include all asthmatics in group 6 (if not in group 4)

I really hope they clear this up soon. Like lots of PPs, my asthma always flares up with a cold/chest infection, so I’ve always assumed Covid would be a baaaaaad thing for me, even though I’m not severe enough to be on the CEV list of anything.

I have also just seen the KCL report that someone has posted on another thread that states: The researchers also found that people with asthma were more likely to develop long COVID,

I really hope asthmatics are in group 6

Don't think a 16 year old will get it no matter what colour inhaler....its not been approved for under 18s I thought..

One of the two UK vaccines is approved for 16 year olds.

I had my asthma review this week by phone with a nurse from my gp practice. She has told me that I will not be prioritised for the vaccine due to my asthma.

I am on ventolin and regular seretide preventer. She said there was no flag against my record to say that I need to be prioritised and checked the green book when I queried it. She said people with asthma are only in group 6 if they have continuous or repeated use of systemic steroids.

I did mention to her the fact that the Asthma UK website says something different and that different gp practices seem to be advising patients differently.

It is all a bit of a mess and doesn't really make sense when the government still states that all asthmatics are in the clinically vulnerable category.

It is all a bit of a mess and doesn't really make sense when the government still states that all asthmatics are in the clinically vulnerable category.

Indeed. I hope we get some clarity soon.

I just don't see how we can say asthmatics are vulnerable to flu and need an annual flu jab, that asthmatics are clinically vulnerable to Covid but also they're not included in priority group 6 for people with underlying conditions!

Anecdotal but I’ve got mild/moderate asthma that is only ever triggered by viruses/colds etc. I had covid & I highly suspect I had new strain as it tore through my DD’s nursery. Nearly 50% of the kids & 80% of the staff! It was fine. Didn’t go to my chest at all surprisingly. Not a hint of a cough or breathing issues.

I also caught actual flu in January, confirmed via blood test in hospital. No idea how Destroyed my chest, have been on majorly increased steroids.

So it’s strange the covid didn’t bother me but at least I can be an example of it being fine with asthma!

I still believe we aren’t in a higher priority group because there are too many of us. Asthma is extremely common

@SingSweetNightingale

I still believe we aren’t in a higher priority group because there are too many of us. Asthma is extremely common

It wouldn't surprise me!

I recall the early days of lockdown when we were told the following groups were clinically vulnerable to Covid and would be given priority delivery slots and support:

• the over 70s
• pregnant women
• adults entitled to a flu jab

Within days the clinically extremely vulnerable (shielding) category was created when they realised how many people fell into the original category.

So I can well imagine someone thinking 'asthmatics for priority' and then realising how many adults have asthma and changing their minds.

Fingers crossed for an update this week which provides clarity. If they don't put all asthmatics with a preventer in group 6 I hope they do put some (perhaps those with stronger preventers and/or add on treatments). Some asthmatics will have only narrowly missed the shielding criteria so it doesn't make sense not to give them some level of priority.