Can the 40-49 age group now book their vaccine?

[Summergirl76]

Sister’s boyfriend (43) was able today to book his vaccine by entering his details on the national booking site (he is Derby based). Sister late 30s tried too but it said she was not eligible. Her husband tried last week and was also not eligible. Just wondered if anyone else has tried in the 40s age group and been able to book?

It would help with the lfts if they'd bought the more accurate UK manufactured ones instead of the Innova ones which are only about 50% accurate (lots of false negatives).

But no.

Better financial support for self-isolation would help too. People like me are fine. Professional job I can do from home, generous sick pay so no financial impact at all. Just the mild annoyance of missing my daily walk, but at least I have a garden. Not everyone is in such a comfortable boat.

There is reasonable evidence that most (if not all) of the virus mutations (giving rise to new strains) occur in immunocompromised patients so protecting them as much as possible makes a lot of sense.

Which is why, those of us with Psoriasis are so perplexed as to why we haven’t been vaccinated yet unless we are on regular immunosuppressants and for most of us with Psoriasis, that isn’t the case as they don’t want patients on these drugs long term (I’ve been diagnosed since 11 years old, for example). We usually just cope with whatever cream etc we can use until our Psoriasis starts to come back and we have to find something else.

Publications in December 2020 from Public Health England including posters and leaflets, listed psoriasis as one of the conditions that did put an individual into an ‘at-risk’ group.
But then on 27th January 2021, Public Health England clarified that people with psoriasis will only fall into priority group 6 for vaccination if they are taking a long term immunosuppressive treatment. People who have a diagnosis of psoriasis but are not taking an immunosuppressive treatment, will not fall into this group and will be contacted about receiving their vaccination based on the same factors as the general population.

Like anyone with asthma, for example, the constant worry and ‘being on edge’ is awful. I have one more week and then I am back teaching, surrounded by just under 1800 young people and fellow teachers-many unvaccinated still. I don’t have much of a choice regarding that risk apart from the fact I can still wear a mask until at least May and try to hope I have enough ventilation.

When I read about pubs being told they can’t have certain outdoor structures regarding ventilation and yet I have 3 pathetic windows in a large classroom that barely open just beyond an inch and have up to 34 individuals in there with me but that is allowed, I’m just speechless really.

I wish there was an online booking system in Wales, but people have to wait for the invite. And up until now, all gp surgeries have been telling patients not to call up to ask about the jab. You had to wait. And now, probably not surprisingly they are finding that though they thought they had offered to all, they missed some.

Wales only

Several health boards have started reserve/standby lists where people not yet eligible for the vaccines can sign up:

twitter.com/WillHayCardiff/status/1381177931129585664

Wish ours did! I'm in the betsi group, which covers most of n wales and they dont have reserve lists.

@DrMadelineMaxwell

It was reported in the press that they wouldn't be sending new invites out in April for first doses.

Do you really think that if doses of Moderna have become available they won't be used for first doses?

I know they are trying to chase up people in the older age groups for 1st doses, but lots of areas have upwards of over 94% uptake already (as of two weeks ago and they were still working through the over 50s list).

If you've already had one jab, you can't have a Moderna jab! So who are those Moderna vaccines going to go to? And when? I also thought that Novavax was due to be approved imminently (as in before the end of April according to the last report I saw).

I just can not see these jabs being left in a warehouse and saved for the under 30s either, in the name of having a 'fair' rollout system.

We know that the target date for the over 50s is the 15th April. Take up in the over 50s has, nationally, been much higher than expected which is good and has a protective affect in its own right.

Its lower in more deprieved areas or areas with high levels of ethnic minorities. My gut feeling would be that the government will announce some kind of limited under 50s roll out in these areas if it hasn't already happened via GPs, simply to try and boost vaccination rates, whilst continuing a drive to increase uptake in older groups in these areas. They will want to appear that they are continuing to roll out to people even if its limited numbers and they are concerntrating on second doses just to get vaccination rates as high as possible in geographical terms at this point - not just based on demographics - because that might tip the country into herd immunity levels sooner.

When it was initially reported that there would be invites for under 50s sent out in April AZ and Pfizer were the only options available. That looks set to change. The SAGE modelling about a lack of availability of first doses is based on just the two approved vaccines from what I can see. (Could be wrong on this).

I think where the problems start to kick in is possibly not with the 40 - 49 age group who I think will get whatever vaccine is available. The issue is with AZ being discouraged for 18 - 29 year olds which leaves a dilema. At some point you are potentially going to get a situation where you have to decide whether to hold back Moderna and any other new vaccine for them at the expense of the 30 - 39 year olds who may have to wait for AZ & Pfizer to become more available again. I can see there being a very unfair situation being considered where the over 30s are skipped due to shortages of AZ and are prevented from having Pfizer and Moderna too. It will be v controversial but my suspicion is it would be the best way to get the whole popular vaccinated sooner and could minimise issues with mass gatherings (legal or otherwise).

In short I am fully expecting SOME SORT of announcement this week - possibly including Novavax's approval (There's been a lot of noise made about how the supply chains for Novavax are all domestic too so they will want to get this rolling SOON). I think the first batch wasn't due for delivery until the second half of the year, but I think that lots has been thrown at it to bring this forward and I think they are ahead of where they were originally scheduled if my memory is serving me correctly. Novavax has also held off doing a deal with the EU in order that they don't get in the same mess as AZ over first deliveries.

@ToykoSushi I know of people in late 40s who have been called in Cheshire. No health conditions. I think its right on the cusp of having done almost everyone in the over 50s, with a very small % left even chase up. I don't think it will be unique across the country nor significantly ahead of the curve in either rollout nor uptake.

I think that it will be a slower rollout of the over 40s than older age groups but I do think its more imminent than previously suggested too.

Yes I agree many points I think jprovax has been speeded up as wasent due to autumn.
Also the bottle location has changed.
I don't know whats going on with eu contract.
But I read they set up eu production sites.
So maybe they will eventually.

It would be very very wrong if they overlooked 30s (or 40s) and jumped to under 30s first. Over 30s are more at risk from long covid than younger groups. They need protection more than under 30s.

I would like to think that financial motivations if not concern for individual health would encourage the government to focus on higher risk groups first. Apparently Hancock is already worried about the long term cost to the NHS in providing ongoing care for long covid patients. Long covid also has welfare benefit cost implications.

I also don't understand why somewhere relatively low risk like Cheshire has enough spare doses to call under 50s. If there is supply enough for 40s but only limited, it should first go to higher risk areas. Probably the deprived ones with low take up in older groups. The low take up means 40s in those areas are less protected by semi herd immunity. I'd prioritise London and Birmingham to start. The two cities with 'red list' quarantine (all international arrivals mix in the airport). They're also both cities with high levels of deprivation and low vaccination take up in some communities. The low take up means unvaccinated 40s there are more vulnerable than unvaccinated in other places.

redtoothbrush when I read about no new doses in May it was when they first reported the expected slowdown and iirc moderna had yet to have been given the greenlight. I'll happily have whichever one I'm offered.

So who are those Moderna vaccines going to go to?

Interestingly, the first Moderna jab in Wales was reported as going to a mid-20s unpaid carer, so looks like they are still doing those groups and haven’t opened up yet to the next age groups.

@Tealightsandd

I also don't understand why somewhere relatively low risk like Cheshire has enough spare doses to call under 50s. If there is supply enough for 40s but only limited, it should first go to higher risk areas. Probably the deprived ones with low take up in older groups. The low take up means 40s in those areas are less protected by semi herd immunity. I'd prioritise London and Birmingham to start. The two cities with 'red list' quarantine (all international arrivals mix in the airport). They're also both cities with high levels of deprivation and low vaccination take up in some communities. The low take up means unvaccinated 40s there are more vulnerable than unvaccinated in other places.

There are some pretty rough bits of Warrington/Runcorn/Widnes/Winsford etc

Its not all leafy and housewives.

I know it's not all WAGs but it doesn't have an intentional airport including 'red list' arrivals (Birmingham and London only in England). It's also a much smaller population with less diversity and less travel than big cities. The risk of catching it is lower.

Ideally every deprived area would've been prioritised but I get that would be more difficult and massively slow down the rollout.

What definitely shouldn't be happening is the extent of postcode variation in distribution.

Something's not right when some places have so much surplus they're calling healthy 20s and 30s when other areas haven't started on upper 40s.

I think the distribution issue came about because population percentages were looked at instead of total numbers. Eg. Somewhere with 5000 residents with 50% elderly has way less elderly than a big city of 1 million with 25% elderly.

It wouldn't surprise me if some (all) city GPs are carrying a lot of gone-aways on their books for people who've moved overseas permanently or temporarily. It would be interesting to know the relative percentage of "can't contact" for different areas.

@ChloeDecker psoriasis is caused by immune system abnormalities but the condition itself does not cause a weakened or suppressed immune system that would cause issues with recovering from a viral infection like COVID. The issue is if you require immune-suppressing treatment for the condition, such treatment would result in being clinically vulnerable. I take azathioprine and as a result am clinically extremely vulnerable. It’s the medication, not my condition that is my vulnerability.

Just seen this on Twitter, don’t know if it will be accurate, but might be worth those in their late 40s trying the booking site tomorrow

I am sharing everyones frustrations.
No invite yet - I am in Shropshire.
I am 43, asthmatic (never hospitalised) and a secondary school teacher.
I commute to work on the train which has been getting busier and busier each day with no social distancing measures put in place, so am really hoping we don't have to wait much longer.

@Tealightsandd

I know it's not all WAGs but it doesn't have an intentional airport including 'red list' arrivals (Birmingham and London only in England). It's also a much smaller population with less diversity and less travel than big cities. The risk of catching it is lower.

Ideally every deprived area would've been prioritised but I get that would be more difficult and massively slow down the rollout.

What definitely shouldn't be happening is the extent of postcode variation in distribution.

Something's not right when some places have so much surplus they're calling healthy 20s and 30s when other areas haven't started on upper 40s.

I think the distribution issue came about because population percentages were looked at instead of total numbers. Eg. Somewhere with 5000 residents with 50% elderly has way less elderly than a big city of 1 million with 25% elderly.

Halton is classed as one of the most deprived areas in the country! In October it had one of the highest rates of cases in the country. There are a lot of unique problems in parts. It also had problems with people accessing testing facilities (there was no testing facility in the borough. There was a mobile unit shared with Warrington). Its been high on the list of 'at risk' places from the very beginning (along with nearby Knowsley which also has had a particularly acute problem). Even after the lack of testing facilities was looked at the problems persisted for some time suggesting particularly low levels of testing /isolating were going on for some reason.

Small towns - not cities - have had more problems throughout the pandemic. In part because there is poorer health provision and greater problems accessing health which are long term and well identified as chronic issues.

A quirk of the NHS is that Halton and Warrington share a health authority despite being in different local political areas (Halton is Liverpool City Region and Warrington is a unitary authority though both historically are Cheshire and both are still served by Cheshire police). Warrington is one of the largest towns in the country. Sharing a health authority means health problems are effectively shared between the two authorities.

The idea that Halton in particular is lower risk is ignorant of the deprivation in the borough. Its ignorant of how its been listed near the top of places at risk of areas being overwhelmed by covid (and the winter did a lot to demonstrate this in practice) and its be classed more at risk than a lot of other places you might assume are more at risk.

They have already made a number of errors over management of the area - its been overlooked at times because of this quirk of political geography meaning its fallen through cracks and not been prioritised.

Its stuff like people not being able to get to testing sites easily because of location and the lack of transport (a long term issue within new build areas which are sprawling and lack facilities).

The issue of less diversity kind of misses a massive problem with poverty in the uk and a group which is forgotten about because they don't tick the right boxes. And the less transport issue misses the point that those who do work are at higher risk because of the nature of their jobs and once it is in a population its much harder to deal with it precisely because no one has transport and those who work can't afford to isolate.

If you want to get an idea of how bad it is, then this news article about levels of health and life expectancy is shocking:
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/decades-gap-healthy-life-expectancy-14399250
Parts if Runcorn have some of the poorest levels of health in the country. Its right at the very very bottom.

But yes, lets go with percieved ideas of risk and a rather narrow knowledge rather than actual data and long term trends on health which are documented.

@Eccle80

Just seen this on Twitter, don’t know if it will be accurate, but might be worth those in their late 40s trying the booking site tomorrow

I've just tried as a very nearly 49 year old and it didn't let me book.

@Eccle80

Just seen this on Twitter, don’t know if it will be accurate, but might be worth those in their late 40s trying the booking site tomorrow

Still cant book as a 48 year old Will try again later.

DH just tried - he's 50 in autumn and been unsuccessful.

Sorry for the DM link but they're reporting as well that late 40s will be invited today. I don't know what time they usually chance the booking system over but I'm going to keep trying today.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9460091/amp/Covid-vaccines-UK-People-40s-invited-jabs-tomorrow.html

DBIL tried as the eldest and couldn't get in yet.

The DM article was dated today and it says from tomorrow. So maybe then.