Plan for people who are CEV?

[Curiousmouse]

What is it?

Most of us had our boosters in September and early October.

We know that protection from Omicron is significantly reduced after 10-12 weeks, from a variety of studies.

The government now appears to have decided not to give fourth doses. Surely that means that the most vulnerable people are now ironically the least protected, given most others were vaccinated so much more recently. It's hard to see how we are going to avoid a deluge of CEV people hitting the hospitals. I don't feel confident at all.

(Yes I realise the small number of severely immunosuppressed will get fourth doses, but that isn't the same thing).

There is no plan and I'm really furious about it.

I’m CEV and share your concern. I my GP surgery yesterday, and they said there are no current plans for a 4th dose and they only know what we know and are waiting for government guidelines. However I looked on the NHS website and it mentions a third dose for CEV followed by a booster.

When does the booster Start to wear off. I had mine in Oct as I'm a care home worker.

I was thinking this. I'm early 30s and healthy, had my second vaccine in late September. Many CEV people had their boosters around the same time. I'll be booking my booster soon so I'll therefore have more protection than a CEV person shortly.

@Dinosaurwoman

I’m CEV and share your concern. I my GP surgery yesterday, and they said there are no current plans for a 4th dose and they only know what we know and are waiting for government guidelines. However I looked on the NHS website and it mentions a third dose for CEV followed by a booster.

That’s not for all CEV. It’s for ~500,000 of the most immunocompromised CEV.

Due to the farce of the third primary dose rollout many if not most of those 500,000 haven’t had their boosters yet.

So the mist vulnerable group are NOT protected, but it’s not the group OP thinks it is.

(Yes I realise the small number of severely immunosuppressed will get fourth doses, but that isn't the same thing).

I'm in this group, OP, and I spoke to my GP practice today. The receptionist went to speak to the Practice Manager and apparently they have have not yet been given the information they need to proceed with a 4th vaccination (which would be my booster, as I had a 3rd primary jab).

I have no idea if this is right or not; so I've just emailed my CCG to ask for some clarity.

If there's no clarity for the 'critically vulnerable' group (the 500k) then there's going to be bugger all clarity for the rest of CEV.

• most

I am CEV and have been sent a PCR test for if i get symptoms, I will then be sent one of the new anti viral drugs if i am positive.

@SpindleyCrow when you get to 91 days after your third primary dose you’re eligible for your booster. You can’t book online at the moment. You either wait for your GP/hospital to sort out your booster, or you take proof of eligibility for a third primary dose to a walk-in centre.

Depending why you’re eligible it might make sense to delay your booster, if you have periods of more/less immunosuppression due to medication.

I had a 3rd primary dose, as per a letter from my consultant and now I can't get a booster! The booking service says I'm not eligible and to contact my GP, and my GP have "never heard of anyone getting a 3rd dose that's not a booster" so even those that should be entitled can't necessarily access the 4th dose!

I am CEV and my GP surgery contacted me by letter over the hols and I am to receive a 4th Jab this weekend.

Just as well with all the covid cases rising around here and on the rare occasions when I do go out lots of entitled not necessarily excempt not wearing masks or half heartedly wearing a very grubby mask under their chin or with their noses out.

@Confuzzlediddled

This is from the NHS website, under boosters:

“ If you've had the 3rd dose for people with a severely weakened immune system

If you've had the 3rd dose for people with a severely weakened immune system, you'll be eligible for a booster dose from 3 months (91 days) after your 3rd dose.

You cannot book a booster using this service yet, but your GP or hospital specialist will invite you for a booster when it's due.

You can also find a walk-in coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination site and attend any walk-in site offering boosters if you have a letter from your GP or hospital specialist inviting you for either a 3rd dose or a booster following your 3rd dose.

You must take your letter with you to the walk-in site.”

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

I desperately need a third dose (identified by the hospital and the government due to my immunodeficiency) but can't even get that organised anywhere locally, let alone my booster. Apparently many cancer patients locally are finding the same. We really are the most vulnerable and the least protected. It's a farce.

It seems to vary across the country. I am getting my 4th dose at my GPs this weekend. I can’t book online though, I looked into it before the GP rang.

If you were classed as critically vulnerable - highly immune compromised - then you get the fourth jab (as your third was a third primary)

Those eligible are all those with blood cancer, others with cancer on treatment on very recently on treatment, transplant recipients, those living with HIV and those on high doses of certain immune suppressant drugs. You should have received a letter about this. It's not quite the same group as those who got the letter about antibody and advanced antiviral treatment - the 4th jab is for those who may well not form the expected response to the jabs, the treatment is for groups who are most likely to have severs forms of the disease (it's a longer list)

I have a critically vulnerable person in the household, and I asked at our local pharmacy (which is a vaccination centre, with a very switched on head pharmacist who has been more use than our GP) and he said that if it is 90+ and you bring your 3rd Primary eligibility letter, then he can do a fourth jab

Person falls due next week, so we'll find out then if the system works! If not, it'll be back to the GP.

AFAIK there are no plans for a 4th jab (yet) for antpyone outside the 3rd primary group

Given Omicron appears to be significantly less virulent than Delta, vaccines provide protection from severe disease and new anti-vitals appear to be very effective, what is the risk now if someone who is CEV catches Covid? Of course, it's still going to be higher than for the average person, but is the risk now comparable to other respiratory illnesses like flu? (accepting it was far higher pre-vaccine, with previous variants and before anti-virals?). If it is, then does Covid require any more caution than would have been taken pre-Covid?

Had a pack with PCR kit turn up, it's red snd labelled "priority".

3rd dose was part of primary course (and because had had first doses in early 2021), booster as normal.

It's the hospital team determining what should be offered, as far as I'm aware, not GPs. I'd suggest consulting your specialist team for advice.

Personally, I'm spacing the jabs out as I had covid recently, so treating that as a dose

I think the offering for those more at risk has been very good.

@treeflowercat

Given Omicron appears to be significantly less virulent than Delta, vaccines provide protection from severe disease and new anti-vitals appear to be very effective, what is the risk now if someone who is CEV catches Covid? Of course, it's still going to be higher than for the average person, but is the risk now comparable to other respiratory illnesses like flu? (accepting it was far higher pre-vaccine, with previous variants and before anti-virals?). If it is, then does Covid require any more caution than would have been taken pre-Covid?

Omicron hasn't yet filtered through to the elderly and vulnerable, so they don't know.

I, personally, don't want to be a Guinea pig.

The issue @treeflowercat is that immunosuppressants stop you making a response to the vaccines. I’ve done a antibody test as part of a clinical trial and have no antibodies from the vaccine. I’m hoping the 4th does something.

what is the risk now if someone who is CEV catches Covid?

That depends on why the person is CEV and what treatment theyvare in at the time

Of course, it's still going to be higher than for the average person, but is the risk now comparable to other respiratory illnesses like flu?

No

If it is, then does Covid require any more caution than would have been taken pre-Covid?

That depends on how widely it is circulating in the popuiation at any given time

@treeflowercat

Given Omicron appears to be significantly less virulent than Delta, vaccines provide protection from severe disease and new anti-vitals appear to be very effective, what is the risk now if someone who is CEV catches Covid? Of course, it's still going to be higher than for the average person, but is the risk now comparable to other respiratory illnesses like flu? (accepting it was far higher pre-vaccine, with previous variants and before anti-virals?). If it is, then does Covid require any more caution than would have been taken pre-Covid?

There are still some deaths from covid, aren't there.

One question is, who is most likely to die from it now?

(For an answer, see the lists of patients for extra vaccines).

A lot of CEV people were prioritised for boosters in September or October, so there is an issue about how the boosters would work.

If there is a lot of pressure on services in the next few weeks, it may be difficult to get that hospital bed or that antiviral medication.

Quite a few CEV people have children at school, and so are exposed to risk of infection that way, for example.

It is quite stressful and still involves managing risk, and we are all exercising more caution than pre covid, aren't we?

It is not like being at risk from flu and therefore having a flu jab, no.

My relative has had 3 jabs and a booster and has been sent a PCR test to send off if they test positive and that will give them access to antivirals.

I'm concerned about this too. My CEV mum had her booster in September so the level of protection will be much reduced by now. She has chronic heart and lung conditions but isn't eligible for a fourth jab. It really worries me that many of the most vulnerable people are least protected right in the middle of this third wave.

I believe the plan is called

"Everyone is gonna get it."

@PrincessNutNuts

I believe the plan is called

"Everyone is gonna get it."

What happened to 'let it rip'?

Not everyone will get it.