Should I be on a higher priority group for the vaccine if I had gd?

[Reastie]

I’ve noticed a few people on fb have now had their covid vaccine because they previously had gd. I’ve tried googling this but all I get is previously having gd puts you at higher risk of type 2 diabetes and having undiagnosed diabetes.

I had gd and I’m pretty certain haven’t been put on a vulnerable list for vaccine but now I’m wondering if I should be. Does anyone know about historic gd and the covid vaccine/vulnerability?

If you mean gestational diabetes, then no

If you didn’t receive a shielding letter, then no. All those who had GD and no other risk factors were sent the letter as a precautionary measure until they could have it confirmation that they don’t have diabetes.

The risk is previous GD (but only if you haven’t had an hba1c within the last year showing no diabetes) + another risk factor.

It depends. There’s a digital tool which has estimated everyone’s a risk from Covid - tvis is what has led to the new shielding list. A history of gestational diabetes feeds into this, especially for people who haven’t been checked recently to make sure they haven’t developed diabetes since. If they are now classed as CEV then that changes vaccine priority.

So I’ve not had a blood test to check in over 2 years so would that make me on the vaccine vulnerable list?

@Reastie Not necessarily, no. People with previous GD only received a shielding letter (and priority vaccination) if they had at least one other risk factor alongside historic GD. But historic GD in itself is not a risk factor - it’s the risk that you may have developed diabetes which is what puts you at risk, as diabetes makes you vulnerable. But, that would be vulnerable, not CEV.

You should be having annual hba1c tests for life to check for diabetes.

I would book in with your GP for an hba1c blood test. If you don’t have diabetes then you are not vulnerable and not priority for a jab, if you do have diabetes then you are eligible for a jab now.

@chinateapot

It depends. There’s a digital tool which has estimated everyone’s a risk from Covid - tvis is what has led to the new shielding list. A history of gestational diabetes feeds into this, especially for people who haven’t been checked recently to make sure they haven’t developed diabetes since. If they are now classed as CEV then that changes vaccine priority.

The digital tool identified some people at risk and they were offered a vaccine.

It used a combination of factors, rather than one major factor. This annoyed some GPs who did not see the risk.

The numbers of people involved were relatively infinitesimal compared to the numbers who deliberately used a social/healthcare booking link, who got pulled off the street at the end of the day due to surplus vaccines etc.

It is a non-issue.

These people were told to get the vaccine, and like everyone else they did as requested.

Retrospectively calling them queue jumpers is just nasty and those individuals who are focusing on this one issue really need to take a look at the relative numbers involved and the much larger numbers of people who deliberately queue jumped.

I’m really confused by this comment! I don’t think I called anyone a queue jumper or anything else “nasty”. Just trying to answer a question...

Sorry! I didn't @ you. I was just following on from you raising the issue of the digital tool.

There was a pretty crappy article in the Guardian yesterday about how 180 young men had been identified by this tool and offered the vaccine, and some had taken up the offer. As if they had done something wrong.
It said a couple of thousand women with GD had also been identified and offered the vaccine, less condemnation of them for taking up the vaccine when offered (as instructed), but still the whole point of the article was how wrong this was.

The article was making a big deal about a tiny number of clearly identifiable people and a GP was saying they had taken vaccines from more needy people. Really the figures were in the hundreds for one group or low thousands for another.

There are much larger groups of people who have deliberately booked vaccines using shared booking links or lying about being healthcare workers or carers.

The article was very mean-spirited and I was surprised that GPs had contributed, since those involved had actually done nothing more than turn up when called legitimately for a vaccination.

So in response to the OP, if you were offered a vaccination through the new digital tool based on having GD (as well as other combined factors usually) then you would be in a higher category and fine to receive the vaccine. But no normally this condition on its own does not put someone in a higher category.

And to further atone for my grumpy posts , I suggest that the OP check the national booking website.

If you have been marked as eligible (e.g. due to GD), then you will be able to book (and allowed to do so!!!):

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

If you are told you are not eligible, you can always consult your GP.

@neverreachingtheend do you have the link to the guardian article? I’m interested in reading that. Sounds outrageous

I didn’t interpret it to get me queue jumping. I’m just trying to find out if I have higher vulnerability and should be vaccinated sooner

@Reastie Ultimately; only if you have diabetes. So, get your blood test from the GP for sure.

@neverreachingtheend sorry I think I was having a hypersensitive day yesterday!

As everyone has said @Reastie the important thing js getting that blood test from the GP - Covid aside, diabetes is a risk factor for so many things it is really worth knowing if you’ve got it. So do it now and then make a mental note to do every year!

Thank you, I get an invite every year but don’t wheats fo it and didn’t do it last year because I didn’t want to risk going into hospital to have it done

Check if the nurse at your Dr's can do it, I had a hospital invite but ignored it, then I had invited for a blood test at my Dr's. You don't need to do a 2 glucose test just a blood test that measures sugar levels from the last 3 months. I had a Diabetic nurse do mine at the Dr's... Which then showed OK levels so at no greater risk, no earlier vaccine needed