Shielding list to be virtually doubled

[Bonsa]

And go from 2.2 million to 3.9 million.

Breaking news...

New list takes into account factors other than health, such as ethnicity, SES/deprivation, and weight.

Officials say 800,000 of the 1.7 million now to be sent shielding letters have not yet been vaccinated - but they will now be prioritised for a jab.

I hope they publish more info so people can ask their gp if they feel they have been missed.

I do wonder how many GPs know their patients’ weight? I was last weighed years and years ago!

@Pastelpainter

I hope they publish more info so people can ask their gp if they feel they have been missed.

Several health problems are identified and given an score depending on an algorithm designed by Oxford

It looks at multiple factors including age, ethnicity, body mass index, other health conditions and also postcode, which is indicative of levels of deprivation.
"The letter will note that this is more likely to be an overestimate of risk in a way which hopefully handles any of their anxiety.
hey include adults with Down's Syndrome, organ donor recipients and people with severe respiratory conditions.
The new model was developed following work by Oxford University which looked at the characteristics of people who died in the first wave.

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-17-million-more-people-added-to-england-shielding-list-but-will-get-earlier-access-to-coronavirus-vaccines-12219896
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56086965

Of the 1.7 million, around 900,000 have already received an offer of a vaccination because they were over 70.
The remainder are all thought to fall into one of the priority groups that are being invited for vaccination next.

They will be bumped up the list first for a jab, the government said.

(From the BBC)

What?! Why? I thought shielding would be phased out as the vaccinations took effect, not increased.

This is never going to end, is it.

It’s a bit late! I imagine they haven’t been shielding for a year and have obviously done ok so why asking now when we should start to come out or lockdown

I don't think I've been weighed at a GP or doctors since I was a child. Im in my mid 30s. How in the hell is the government going to know who is overweight

@Hitchyhero

I don't think I've been weighed at a GP or doctors since I was a child. Im in my mid 30s. How in the hell is the government going to know who is overweight

Unless your bmi is over 40 I believe then the bmi won’t have so much impact if you’re healthy

Talk about shutting the stable door when the horse has bolted.

@manicinsomniac

What?! Why? I thought shielding would be phased out as the vaccinations took effect, not increased.

This is never going to end, is it.

Those are risk will be prioritised to get their vaccine sooner

It's a bit odd now telling them to shield for 6 weeks when cases are dropping like dead weights, when they havent been shielding for the past year. Talk about a shock to the system. I wonder if it's just some technicality to get certain groups bumped up the vaccine list, ie you cant be bumped up without being told to shield. Very odd. I am not sure if I was on that list that I would shield. What's the point?

Does anyone have a link please

As I said on another thread, I understand the need to bump some up the vaccine queue but the shielding surprised me

I'm wondering how much of it's due to vaccine resistance being reportedly higher among some communities, and what their views on this will be

Here you go, WouldstrokeTomHardy: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56086965

it did say that for the new people recieving their letters that sheilding is optional until march 31st.

Is this them moving to "Shield the vulnerable and let the rest of us get on with it" that those that are anti-lockdown promote?

@SharedLife

Is this them moving to "Shield the vulnerable and let the rest of us get on with it" that those that are anti-lockdown promote?

It's only 6 weeks of shielding. We will hardly be getting on with much between now and then.

Great so I still have to go out to work daily group 6 (type 1 diabetes) and be pushed further down the list

@fizzyp0p

Great so I still have to go out to work daily group 6 (type 1 diabetes) and be pushed further down the list

My FIL has type 2 diabetes, is in his 50s, and got his vaccine last week. How far down are people with diabetes? I thought you would be getting it by now.

I was wondering whether it would be combined with lessening of lock down generally

I rekon they don’t really need to shield but the government have had to say this to justify bumping them at the top of the list.

If they need to be at the top all of a sudden then just put them there, don’t need to justify it- just get it done!

@fizzyp0p

Great so I still have to go out to work daily group 6 (type 1 diabetes) and be pushed further down the list

The tool takes into account diabetes so you might be brought forward again in the vac list.

Why on Earth didn’t they mention this yesterday at the non-event that was the press conference?

I thought it was because they want them not to catch covid whilst in the vaccination 'waiting room' iyswim, because a) it fucks up the vaccination and b) they are the next 'most likely to be hospitalised' group so it will reduce cases in hospital by next month.

Or they are worried about variants and not saying.