16yo called for vaccination

[Sleepthief]

I'm trying to get my head around this and wondering if anyone else is in the same boat... DS1 (16yrs 5 mths) has been invited to book his Covid 19 vaccination. All well and good, and the more people who are vaccinated, the better in my book. But I can't for the life of me work out why. He has suffered from mild asthma in the past, but it was always seasonal (pollen/hayfever induced) and I don't think he's used his inhalers (he has blue and brown) for over a year. Add to this the fact that asthma, unless brittle, has been downgraded from the priority lists and I'm really stumped. He has no other underlying health conditions, is super fit and healthy, runs (fast and far) regularly and has never been hospitalised for anything. The text came from our GP, by the way. Have they just not got the asthma memo?

His 53yo father hasn't been called up yet, so it's not as though our area is particularly far ahead with vaccinations either.

My 17 year old has hers this week. She had a condition as a child that she's grown out of it appears but she was still called. She had it done because the more the better and she's now some some protection for her return to 6th form in a week

Has he had 3 lots of steriods altogether?

As that or hospitalization are the only 2 asthma criteria.

If not it is possibly an error.
Asthma was completely in before so i expect some gp are following that or they just want more people vaxxed (less risk to them and the area...)

He's never had steroids at all!

Yes, I think the most likely explanation is that our GP are still prioritising asthma/haven't got the memo🤷‍♀️

I have booked him in, by the way. As you say, the more the better!

They dont seem to be releasing all the criteria now (eg the last lot of shielding letters). I'd assume there has just been some number crunching behind the scenes so take up the jab and think not a lot about it.

In the end everyone will get it. Why are you bother whether it is now or so when in the next 4 months.

Everyone except except the under 16s. the CEV under 16s have been left high and dry. That is something to worry about.

Are brown inhalers classed as steroid inhalers?

Probably a mistake but if they start investigating and wasting time everyone it will take longer.

@StarCat2020 brown inhalers are steroid inhalers, but that doesn’t qualify you to be vaccinated for asthma, only multiple courses of oral steroids.

@Sleepthief I would go ahead with getting him vaccinated, querying will take up more time for the GPs, and it is not clear what will happen with 16 and 17 year olds as they have only mentioned down to 18 yesterday without health issues, so he might not get invited again later.

@Eccle80 I booked him in straight away. I was just wondering really if anyone else had experienced the same

My nephew has been invited for his vaccine too. He’s early thirties, very mild asthma. never had oral steroids. He didn’t even know he had asthma until a medical about 5 years ago.

There's some really weird stuff going on right now. One of my staff got a shielding letter this week, and invited for the vaccine the next day. She literally has not a clue why she should be shielding! By that I mean that she is 100% fit, healthy, young and has no medical conditions at all. The only thing we can figure out is that she is BAME, lives in a relatively poor area (although that's a postcode thing - she isn't rich but she's also not poor), and had rheumatic fever as a child. The latter can cause heart problems, but they stopped monitoring her for that 15 years ago when it was obvious there wasn't any!

My best guess is that someone is trawling health records and has gone from one extreme to the other. Last year people who probably should have needed to be priorities / shielding weren't, now it seems everyone and their granny needs to!

I imagine these blips are becuase it is done by computers. Computers search the patient electronic records for codes. Codes get added to your records to signify certain conditions. It is possible that either a wrong code is added, or a code is added many years ago and then not removed when it is no longer relevant. Obvioulsy the computer wont know this, so just recognises a code that flags up and then generates a sheilding letter and or vaccination invitation.

Yes,, google Qcovid, it’s the computerised risk assessment thingy that the NHS are using. It doesn’t just go off health conditions.

digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/risk-assessment

Our local surgery are prioritising 16-64s with underlying health conditions and sending the 65+ to a mass testing centre.

My DS (18) also has mild asthma and is booked in for next week.

You can't expect the doctors to be going through everyone's notes and assessing whether or not they qualify. He has had a condition that pings on their search. The fact that it wasn't severe is irrelevant. Better to vaccinate some that shouldn't have priority than miss off those that should.