Does NHS Flu jab mean you are in group 6?

[AtLastEarwax]

Hey everyone

Ok I'm eligible for a free flu jab every year - they send me a text to remind me due to have epilepsy. I looked on the website and it classes neurology as a pre existing condition in group 6 but not sure if this means epilepsy??

Hubby seems to think that if you are eligible for a free flu jab - due to a health condition that's the target for group 6?

What's people opinions?

Thanks 😊

After that they stop sending texts 😂😂😂

[quote Eccle80]@LetsPlayBamboozled apologies, my bad reading, I looked over the list and must have missed it, sorry![/quote]
@Eccle80 not at all! Sorry to you, I meant to add a thoughtful smiley as I was confused by people saying it didn''t seem to be there!!

Yes they did alpaca! He had been having it for 12 years... when he had to fight to get one this year, the woman at the GP told him he hadn't actually been on the list for about 5 years. The consultant was not best pleased/ I am assuming it was money saving. The GPs do manage lists and managed decisions over who was CEV or CV. So, Lord knows when he will get the vaccine for covid.

I got offered a free flu jab this year and I've no underlying conditions at all!

Asthmatics were in group 6 but moved down unless severe

are you over 50 @lovelemoncurd

I'm offered the flu jab every year due to hypothyroidism, I don't think that'll make me group 6.

Interesting about the epilepsy, husband has epilepsy but is not medicated so not sure what group he will be in.

@lovelemoncurd

I got offered a free flu jab this year and I've no underlying conditions at all!

It was 50 and over this year due to Covid.

@DwarfQuasar

I'm offered the flu jab every year due to hypothyroidism, I don't think that'll make me group 6.

Interesting about the epilepsy, husband has epilepsy but is not medicated so not sure what group he will be in.

I’ve been hypothyroid on medication for about 17 years and never been offered the flu jab by my GP.

I have Bronchiectasis, I get offered the flu jab and as I have a chronic lung condition ( and I have had 5 exacerbations in 12 m) I am group 6. I think.

@DinosaurDiana ah that would be why then!

BBC are reporting that people with asthma who use a steroid inhaler will be in group 6.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56012530

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and get the flu jab. I'm in group 6. I have no idea when I will get it though. And when I asked the receptionist at the GP surgery she had no idea.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56012530
Some clarification

@Cloudsurfing

No it doesn’t automatically mean you’re in group 6. I get the free flu jab for asthma but am not in group 6.

You are now - it was clarified yesterday!

@Cloudsurfing I saw this earlier

Sounds like good news for asthmatics then . I wonder if they will now offer it to the whole flu jab group for simplicity's sake.

@Moondust001 just saw on bbc news, very happy

Has anyone got a source other than the BBC article?

@LST

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and get the flu jab. I'm in group 6. I have no idea when I will get it though. And when I asked the receptionist at the GP surgery she had no idea.

We are still doing group 4. When you get yours depends upon how many people before you want it, and how many vaccines we get. No one can say when that will be, but it will be as soon as we can.

BBC have changed their report. Now says group 6 is for people previously admitted to hospital or needing “continuous or repeated steroid use”.

@HipTightOnions

BBC have changed their report. Now says group 6 is for people previously admitted to hospital or needing “continuous or repeated steroid use”.

So they have. Drat.

I screenshotted it earlier and it definitely said group 6 included those who use a steroid inhaler for asthma.

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.

I expect this will be obvious to many posters, but the confusion seems to stem from the interpretation of the word "steroid". Many moderate asthmatics take regular (usually brown or red) steroid inhaler to control their condition. It seems that the steroids which would push an asthmatic into category six, are the tablet form, such as prednisolone, which are taken to control flareups or more severe asthma.

I have particular skin in this game because I am a moderate asthmatic with lung scarring, whose episodes of more severe asthma are triggered by viruses; I can quickly become very ill if I catch a cold. I have not caught anything for the past year because I haven't been anywhere, so I am now out of the priority group, notwithstanding the fact that if I catch Covid, it would probably have severe consequences.

@CaffiSaliMali the BBC article is still confused though, as it just refers to regular steroid use and not whether that means oral or inhaled ones. So frustrating!

epilepsy is group 6 apparently. was surprised, because it is not immediately obvious to me why.

unpaid carers are too apparently too.

we don't seem to be on group six here though, yet.