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Original poster

Just received a shielding letter but no one knows why!!

602 replies

theviewfromhalfwaydown · 18/02/2021 11:01

I’m freaking out a bit that there’s something wrong with me I don’t know about. I received a shielding letter but have no idea why I have it. I’m slightly overweight but haven’t been weighed by a dr in 10years and that was just after I’d given birth to my youngest. I have no underlying health conditions I know about and I’m only 38. All I can think of is that I had gestational diabetes but that was years ago. I’ve already had the first jab as I work in healthcare but I’m worried they know something I don’t. I’m not going to shield as I don’t think I need to and I want to work but it’s still thrown me quite a bit.

OP posts:
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Original poster
theviewfromhalfwaydown · 18/02/2021 20:51

I’m on Sertraline too. So maybe it’s that but didn’t think it was part of it. I’m white and live on a council estate but in a very affluent area so not sure if that’s to do with it.

OP posts:
bumblenbean · 18/02/2021 20:55

@doireallyneedaname true, but as it advises us to shield and indicates we are likely to be at very high risk to me for all intents and purposes it amounts to the same thing!

I think having anxiety doesn’t help me view it in a calm and rational way ... it’s just so out of the blue, and exacerbated by the inability to get clarity as to the reasons... sigh

AngeloMysterioso · 18/02/2021 20:57

@WreckTangled

People who had GD should have a fasting glucose and hba1c annually. It's in the NICE guidelines. (I know this doesn't always happen but there's no excuse for it not happening really, also I know in the past year some surgeries have been shit at monitoring things like this).
I’ve never been contacted about a test, and until today it hadn’t even crossed my mind...
painbrain · 18/02/2021 21:00

The letter I received definitely mentions being on the extremely critically vulnerable list:

You have been added to the list of people who are clinically extremely vulnerable. This letter is a formal shielding notification and can act as evidence for your employer, including for statutory sick pay (SSP) purposes or Employment and Support'

I thought it was a standard letter, but are some other people's different?

doireallyneedaname · 18/02/2021 21:09

@painbrain Key parts of the letter IMO

“This letter explains why you have been included in this group and what advice and support is available to you. The easiest way for us to ensure your early vaccination is to include you within the list of people who are clinically extremely vulnerable (also known as the shielded patient list).”

“By putting this new evidence into a risk model with information the NHS already holds, you have been identified as someone who may be at high risk. This is likely to be because you have a combination of underlying risk factors or health issues which, when combined, indicates high risk.

An extra cautious approach has been taken, so there is a chance that your risk is lower than estimated.”

painbrain · 18/02/2021 21:18

@doireallyneedaname Yes, I see what you mean and I think you're right.

PCar20 · 18/02/2021 21:18

This reply has been deleted

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Beebityboo · 18/02/2021 21:25

I agree re a check on your medical notes is important if you think that anything may be amiss.
Two years ago I was completely taken aback when my new GP asked me how I was managing my schizophrenia as I wasn't taking any meds for it. I had literally no idea what he was talking about, after some investigating I realised that a Dr had, without my knowledge, diagnosed me as a schizophrenic when I was briefly sectioned for post natal psychosis after having my second child. I recovered with no further episodes other than depression. My GP printed out the letter this Dr wrote about me and it was awful, he had exaggerated point blank things I had said and in certain places just plain made stuff up.
As I want to train to be a teacher I was worried it would cause me a lot of problems so I contacted the health records people and they said that as it was just one Dr's opinion I was not officially diagnosed and it won't show up in records in the future, but they wouldn't remove it entirely. It still causes me a lot of anxiety and I don't know if there will be any ramifications in the future.

doireallyneedaname · 18/02/2021 21:31

@Beebityboo wow that is awful!

I have seen thousands of women posting online today having received this letter, all with a previous gestational diabetes diagnosis - so I don’t think it could be a case of wrong medical records.

Tangi88 · 18/02/2021 21:53

I also received the letter and had GD in the past. However the letter came as an email and not letter by post
I called 119 and they said that they don’t send emails but letters by post... so who sent the email if not then? I am completely confused!

And then she checked my details on the system and said that I can’t book it yet...

Did any of you manage to successfully book your vaccines following the “email-letter”?

minipie · 18/02/2021 22:11

Tangi88 mine was an email. I think it’s legit though because when I called the GP surgery they knew about these emails, they said they’d been sent based on the new algorithm.

Apparently there is often a gap of 2-3 days between shielding notice and being able to book the jab

doireallyneedaname · 18/02/2021 22:12

So I still haven’t figured out if we are ACTUALLY at risk of severe Covid or not.

minipie · 18/02/2021 22:16

Same! I think most likely not, but all we can do is await further information

longestlurkerever · 18/02/2021 22:16

Me neither doireally. It seems it's one part of an algorithm that also covers other factors but I'm not sure my other factors would be very significant. As others have said, I could get my head around "at risk of complications and therefore in group 6 for vaccine priority" but CEV is a bit of a bolt out of the blue. It does make you think "mistake" but equally it could be "the algorithm flags you and no one truly knows why but you are at statistically high risk and better take it seriously"

longestlurkerever · 18/02/2021 22:21

For those asking I only have one GD pregnancy (dd2), wasn't on insulin and have never been on sertraline or similar. I have PCOS, my BMI is in the overweight but not obese category. My postcode might flag as deprived. It's a very mixed area (London)

doireallyneedaname · 18/02/2021 22:22

My partner is convinced this is just the way they are going to prioritise the other age groups fairly. As they are still booking and vaccinating those in the top priority groups, they are starting on the rest of us with higher than average risks and will work their way down the list to the youngest/lowest risk.

I’m not convinced.

bumblenbean · 18/02/2021 22:26

Re the vaccine I think we have to wait for GP to invite us - I believe the online booking is only for over 65s and officially CEV at the moment. Unfortunately my surgery say they’ve just sent out the most recent vaccine clinic invites so they have to wait for the next ‘NHS directive’ before they can invite those of us newly identified as at risk 🤦🏼‍♀️

doireallyneedaname · 18/02/2021 22:31

@bumblenbean Try 119 over the next couple of days. I have seen some people have been booked already, it just depends how fast your medical records are updated.

Boobahs · 18/02/2021 22:37

I have also received an email advising me to shield today.

One GD pregnancy 5 years ago, one without GD 2 years ago. High BMI, pernicious anaemia.

I actually tested positive on 2nd Feb. Last week I got a phone call inviting me to have my vaccine so I made an appointment. Later on that night, a nurse friend of mine informed me that you can't have your vaccination if you've tested positive in the past 28 days. Nobody at my GPs told me that, in fact they didn't even ask if I'd ever had it. Had to cancel my appointment and was told that they would be in touch.

Received that email today and am confused about what to do. I've been working in a school for the past year, and have now had COVID. Do I really need to shield now? Who knows! Confused

IsadoraMoon · 18/02/2021 22:47

@Boobahs I'm the same, had the email today, quite a shock as had GD 4 years ago and normal BMI and also have already had Covid! I think I'm going to ignore it! At least we have had Covid and come out the other side so hopefully not actually that vunerable! If we get the vaccine earlier I guess that's a bonus but I wasn't worried about being too high up the list as figured I at least already has some immunity

Tangi88 · 18/02/2021 22:50

Thanks @minipie!

So, do we need to keep checking at the booking vaccination website when we will be eligible in order to book it online?

Or will we receive another letter that invites us for booking the vaccination when it’s our turn?

Personally, I don’t worry about shielding and receiving the letter as shielding it’s only a guidance and each of us knows if we have medical issues or not. We can judge if we need to shield or not! If it’s only because of GD then I don’t see why we need to shield and why all this panic around...

bumblenbean · 18/02/2021 23:11

Thanks @doireallyneedaname

I just checked my records online and it appears my GD (from 2018!) is listed as current rather than closed. That must be the reason for me ...

doireallyneedaname · 18/02/2021 23:12

Just read this.

doireallyneedaname · 18/02/2021 23:12

Here

Just received a shielding letter but no one knows why!!
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