Has anyone successfully challenged their exclusion from group 6?

[TheLifeAndDeathBrigade]

Asthma related- my understanding is that anyone who has had an emergency admission for asthma should have been vaccinated in group 6, however GP surgery is only including those who've had an admission in the last 12 months.

Trying to work out if it is worth challenging or just wait til they reach my age category (likely not for some time). I don't want to be a nuisance, but equally feel they should be following the JCVI guidelines, and if they were,I wouldn't have to make a nuisance of myself!

It’s supposed to be if you were hospitalised ever because of asthma. I think it changed from 12 months so they may be confused.

It can be hard advocating for yourself but we are now at a stage where you wont be jumping ahead of anyone more at risk of you.
You should have had it already.

I have asthma and my dr has put me in with the 45+ to get done ahead of my age group, so some gps must have the flexibility to do do.

I’d very politely enquire. You’re vulnerable whatever the daft algorithm says. Most other countries put asthmatics in the correct group.

Good luck.

We did for ds as he’s 16 so wouldn’t have been included at all otherwise.
We were initially told he was in group 6, but then no appointment materialised so we asked the surgery who said they couldn’t see that he should be in group 6 as he’s asthma isn’t severe (we think they just looked at his current inhalers and not his previous history)
I asked them to look into it urgently and received an email back to say he would be included in group 6.
He had his first jab around 10 days ago.

I was hospitalised with swine flu because of my asthma but haven't heard anything yet. I'm 44. I'll be glad when I get it.

It might reassure you to know recent report suggest asthmatics are less likely to get seriously ill and hospitalised. Covid was initially thought to be a respiratory infection but it's more vascular inflammatory.

Inhaled steroids (like some other immunosuppressants) seem to help, and one (budesonide) has just been approved by the NHS for home treatment of Covid (on a case by case basis).

I don't know if being asthmatic but not using steroids changes things? Might be worth asking your GP to add you as vulnerable if that's the case.

Kind of - I caught cv for a second time. And failed to produce lasting antibodies for a second time. That plus the asthma finally convinced them.

I've got the same and was in hospital in the last 12 months due to asthma but wrongly classified so not got made group 6. DH has no conditions and got CEV. But I am in 45 to 50 age group and online booking has come out today - took 2 hours and I think I booked but no confirmation and both an hour away. You could try phoning. Lots of people seem to be getting bumped up.

A consultant's letter helped me (for a separate medical condition, not asthma). It was a battle though

I did i contacted the gp because i was hospitalized as a child. Luckily i called just before stop on 40s and the next day they said ob fb they wouldnt be as lenient on adding to group 6.
I got vaxxed 3w ago. Which is good as id still be waiting by age.
I got probable covid in apr 20 and was really ill (would have been hospitalised in normal times).
But as i have pcos it may well have been that rather than asthma due to the high blood sugar

@Tealightsandd

It might reassure you to know recent report suggest asthmatics are less likely to get seriously ill and hospitalised. Covid was initially thought to be a respiratory infection but it's more vascular inflammatory.

Inhaled steroids (like some other immunosuppressants) seem to help, and one (budesonide) has just been approved by the NHS for home treatment of Covid (on a case by case basis).

I don't know if being asthmatic but not using steroids changes things? Might be worth asking your GP to add you as vulnerable if that's the case.

The data they used to come to that conclusion was rather suspect. They seem to have counted anyone who's ever had a blue inhaler in the total number of asthmatics whereas most of those people wouldn't be counted as an asthmatic if they did end up in hospital. They used around 12 million as the denominator when it should have been more like 7 million. Even so, asthmatics are still at higher risk of hospitalisation, ICU admission and ventilation along with long Covid. Basically they've fudged the numbers so they can drastically reduce the number of people in group 6 and hit their vaccination target. Meanwhile everyone is using the excuse that everyone who's vulnerable has been vaccinated to ignore restrictions. Asthmatics have been well and truly thrown under the bus.

I assume you've tried asking the GPs if they will code you as group 6? If so, then you could try putting something in writing - print out or link to the guidance and a polite note explaining how stressed you are feeling about it.

I've been stressing about the whole thing, but I decided to wait for my age category. I'm in the 45-50 range and I've now got a date through for next week (phew!). I think that asthmatics have had a raw deal - we've been repeatedly told we are at risk/have to be more careful/can't be a vaccine volunteer etc - is it any wonder we want to be in group 6?

I can see why they don't want to code all asthmatics in group 6, but I don't think we are a homogenous group. My asthma symptoms started after a bout of pneumonia (so I assume there is scarring) and are occupationally exacerbated. If my breathing got worse I would not be able to work in my current job.

So long as you ask politely, you are not being a nuisance. Nothing to lose!

Thanks for all the comments.

@Tealightsandd thanks for trying to be reassuring, I do appreciate it, but firstly, like PP have said, that data is flawed,and secondly, even on the basis of the decisions made on the back of that data, I should still be in group 6, my GP practice have just chosen to if ore the JCVI criteria and apply their own

I think I'll try an email to the practice and see if I get anywhere.

Are GPs supposed to be applying their own criteria or should they be applying the JCVI criteria? If the latter I would definitely email and point out that they are meant to be following the JCVI criteria and as such you need to be put into group 6 immediately. Copy the practice manager. And I think the only way to get some GPs to do anything is to be a nuisance.

People always say call PALS for hospital issues, I am not sure what the equivalent is for GPs - probably isn't anything as they would be utterly overwhelmed if there were.

Yes, I believe they should be following JCVI criteria- this is the body that has set the priority groups and defined who should be included in each

I booked an asthma review as I’d had a difficult few months with breathlessness, my asthma nurse spoke to the GP admin team on my behalf and I was invited a week later. I’m 32. I’ve never been hospitalised but I’ve had steroids and different inhalers a lot over the last year.

I was missed for a different medical condition and got nowhere. They put me on the standby list but this was weeks and weeks ago so I'm guessing their list is huge.

Sorry if it's false reassurance. I only saw yesterday that budesonide's been approved for home treatment of covid (on a case by case basis, mostly over 50s). I haven't read more about the study.

@TheLifeAndDeathBrigade If you meet the JCVI criteria, definitely write to your GP.

GP equivalent of PALS is the local CCG.

It seems to be such a lottery. I am asthmatic and had mine 6 weeks ago - no hospital admission.

Again, I don't want to give false reassurance, but this is possibly of interest. Cautiously positive news?

www.nursinginpractice.com/clinical/respiratory/people-with-asthma-less-likely-to-get-covid-says-study

@Tealightsandd thanks, I'll take a look

I thought I should add. It all seems a bit uncertain regarding asthma, doesn't it. I definitely don't want to encourage any false sense of security! It's important to stay cautious for the time being.

I hope you get things sorted with your GP 🤞

That study could easily be explained by asthmatics being more careful than the general population.