Household members of ECV to be prioritised

[Thatwentbadly]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56566892

My DH is ECV due to long term immunosuppressants so I should be in the group. My DH and I are registered to different GPs. Does anyone have any idea who the relevant people are who I need to inform of this?

Not sure, but I would ask your GP for advice in the first instance. I hope you can get a vaccine soon.

Just read it on the Blood Cancer UK page. I am absolutely delighted. Hope it filters down to GPs quickly. I tried with our GPs last week and had no luck at all www.gov.uk/government/news/new-vaccine-advice-for-adults-living-with-adults-who-are-immunosuppressed

Well my GP surgery says it has to done through my husband’s surgery and my husband’s surgery says they know nothing about it!

I've called our GP and 119 and neither has heard of it. I explained it was on the NHS website but got nowhere.

www.gov.uk/government/news/new-vaccine-advice-for-adults-living-with-adults-who-are-immunosuppressed

@Rillington I suspect like all of the government Covid changes they have been announced at a press conference but not formally shared with medical professionals.

@Thatwentbadly yes I think you are right. Hopefully they will update the system soon.

Is your take on this that households of ECV will be vaccinated or just the household of those who are immunosuppressed within the ECV group.

@honkytonkheroe

Is your take on this that households of ECV will be vaccinated or just the household of those who are immunosuppressed within the ECV group.

It’s not all household members, it’s household members of those who have weakened immune systems and therefore, are less likely to mount good responses to the vaccines themselves. Hope this helps. :)

@honkytonkheroe it's only those who are immunosuppressed not all ECV. Not having any luck booking though. Nobody seems to know anything about it.

I think it would be me anyway but not 100% sure.

I've booked my 16y old in for vaccination tomorrow under this program - his dad is CEV group 4 (not immunosuppressed). My GP put in on their FB this morning and asked people that met the criteria (people 16+ living in the same household someone registered with NHS as CEV to contact them, saying they weren't sure of how long the wait would be as they were unsure of numbers. I emailed them this afternoon and they phoned me this evening with an appointment at the local GP vaccination hub tomorrow. DH also got a text this afternoon (the CEV one). Hopefully your GP will know about it v soon.

DH does have an auto immune condition - should have said

@DoodleDJ it's specifically for those who are immunosuppressed. I think your GP has read the information incorrectly.

Their FB page just said "adult adult household contacts of ‘Clinically Extremely Vulnerable’ (shielding) patients over 16 and living in the same household as the CEV patient" though, nothing about immunosupressed or auto-immune condition.

@DoodleDJ that is what they have found though that the vaccination isn't very effective in the immunosuppressed. Vaccinating their family protects them. I am immunosuppressed in the shielding group.

I'm not disagreeing with you. it sounds sensible. I'm just saying my GP didn't mention that. But maybe they only texted/booked people in same house as people immunosupressd or have an auto immune condition? (Does that automatically make you immunosupressd? Maybe it does?)

And is all the CEV group immunosuppressed in some way? Either by illness or disease?

I'm asking because I genuinely don't know the answer but wondered. I have an autoimmune condition (Myasthenia Gravis) take a low dose of steroids and have also been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis so feel sure I would be on the later anyway but I'm not sure what part made me CEV because my dose of steroids is only 5mg per day.

@DoodleDJ

I'm not disagreeing with you. it sounds sensible. I'm just saying my GP didn't mention that. But maybe they only texted/booked people in same house as people immunosupressd or have an auto immune condition? (Does that automatically make you immunosupressd? Maybe it does?)

I also wonder this. Does the autoimmune disease alone make you immunosuppressed or is it the treatment?

DH takes steroids so I think that makes sense - thats what make you immunosupressd as I guess the steroids are to damp down your over active immune system which causes the medical condition.

I'm not entirely sure why I went until the ECV category though on just 5mg prednisone a day.

I called my GP about this today. They did not know anything about it, are looking in to it and said they will call me back. I'm immunosuppressed and hoping DH can have it.

@honkytonkheroe

I'm not entirely sure why I went until the ECV category though on just 5mg prednisone a day.

@honkytonkheroe

Long term use of steroids, 5mg or over, is enough to cause immune suppression. Are you on other meds? Sometimes it’s the combination of them.

I read that it was 20mg plus of steroids to be CEV and 6-19mg to be vulnerable. However, they may consider long term usage separately. I have taken them for 18 years (sometimes at a higher dose) and will be on them for life.

Sorry, I am not on other meds, except those to counteract side affects of steroids.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-health-and-social-care-secretary-on-covid-19-vaccination-to-protect-severely-immunosuppressed-adults/letter-from-the-health-and-social-care-secretary-to-the-jcvi-24-march-2021

A little more paper trail for anyone trying to get this sorted with Drs. Do try booking online too, my family were all vaccinated together as their online eligibility had been updated by Monday evening, I'm guessing by my Dr. They didn't need to opt as carers, it just went straight through the same way it did when I booked with my MHS number being CEV.