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That should qualify you if you've been in hospital, as it's not date limited.
Vaccine minister apparently just on tv now, backtracking on his advice from yesterday and saying he got it wrong and most asthmatics aren't included.
You couldn't make it up really..
I've had a call from my doctor this morning booking me in for a vaccine on Friday. I've never been hospitalized due to asthma. I've had steroids, the last time was 3 weeks ago, but never 3 lots in 3 months. Very pleased to be offered it.
Got an appointment for next Friday morning for my jab. Surprised been offered one so soon.
Got notification today & Vaccine booked for Monday - long term asthma but no oral steroids or hospitalisation. Asthma managed very well with Symbicort 🤷♂️
I had a different long term illness but that was fully cured two years ago and wasn't something that was effecting my day to day health - it was a long term issue. Wife says that might have been flagged as well (she's a clinical commissioner).
Meanwhile over on Twitter the asthma uk followers are going ballistic.
Take for example my pal, numerous a&e visits in last ten years, numerous steroid tablet prescriptions. But as the a&e didn't lead to hospital admission, and because the steroids weren't 3 times in 3 months, she isn't prioritised
Meanwhile half a dozen folks on this thread announce that they have well controlled asthma, haven't met any of the new criteria, and yet already have a jab date.
Don't begrudge any asthmatic getting it obviously, but it's pot luck if you get invited or not which is total bullsh*t. It should be all or none.
I agree, it's not right that some are being offered and some not. Also, a past hospital admission doesn't necessarily reflect the current state of someone's asthma. My brother's ex was admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties and was diagnosed with asthma. As soon as she was prescribed an inhaler, she was fine. Under the new guidelines she qualifies, but your friend doesn't. I hope your friend's GP decides she should be included.
Mine certainly didn't feel well controlled 3 weeks ago, but I've been ok since the steroids.
MrsF just had email, 49, slight asthma, but is also registered as a carer for her mum - she also beat me to it for the flu and I'm 51. Good news.
I haven't had notification, but NHS site just let me in to book - 51 with probably moderate to severe asthma under the current description (asked to shield in lockdown 1). Yay!
I'm having to schlep to Bradford for it, but I can manage that.
Worth other people popping their details just in case if they believe they have anything tending towards severe asthma.
https://www.nhs.uk/book-a-coronavirus-vaccination/
My wife was offered hers last week by the GP (37 mild asthma but a bad hospitalisation 3 years ago). They didn't know what criteria had meant she was offered it but told her she was on the list so get it done.
Ironically she also started her job as a marshall at the Derby Arena which is the mass vaccination site so was offered one through that as well so had lots of opportunities last week. I am just glad she has had it. I am the only one in the immediate family who hasn't had it now (I am the only person who doesn't work in the NHS, emergency services or the care industry!).
37 mild asthma but a bad hospitalisation 3 years ago
An asthma related hospital admission qualifies her, although it surely can't be that mild if she ended up needing an admission!
It's pretty annoying that officials keep referring to those asthma sufferers excluded from the criteria as having 'mild' asthma. There is a whole spectrum of asthma between the severity required to be in the priority groups, and those that use ventolin one in a blue moon during exercise.
Worry for me is that all evidence points to asthmatics being more succeptable to both long covid and more severe disease. The fact that learning disabilities and others managed to reverse the decision to be excluded, and asthma didn't, is reflective of how absolutely ineffective asthma uk were, eventually kicking up a fuss 2 days before the under 50s group was announced.
I'm lucky enough to be in group 10, but if I was a 25 year old key worker with asthma id be furious.
Worry for me is that all evidence points to asthmatics being more succeptable to both long covid and more severe disease.
CEBM's recent rapid review seems not to agree with this -
Whether PWA increases risk of infection or severe outcomes from COVID-19 remains unclear. There is no consensus from systematic reviews, and high quality primary studies report conflicting results in some areas.
Will people stop using "sufferers" Its really annoys me
People who have asthma or people living with asthma please or even asthmatics! 😉
Wheezy ****ers is the clinically appropriate term, TJ.
tjagain
Will people stop using “sufferers” Its really annoys me
Why? I do suffer with it. I have done for most of my life. It is for some a debilitating lifelong condition.
seems not to agree with this –
Kings study disagrees ..as do numerous others
It should be pointed out that the studies used to define priority groups is fundamentally flawed as there is no differentiation in asthma severity or type. The data is taken from first half of 2020, when many folks with severe asthma were shielding. So when they say 'people who had asthma didn't die from covid ' , that study group will have been massively skewed towards the folks with asthma who weren't taking as much care to avoid getting it. Those guys tend to not be the population with severe asthma. The study paper even calls this out as a limitation of its findings.
Will people stop using “sufferers” Its really annoys me
Why..I suffer from asthma, hence I'm an asthma sufferer.
Why..I suffer from asthma, hence I’m an asthma sufferer.
Because it's annoying TJ. How about 'airway impaired'?
Its a flip point and its about the social definition of disability rather than the medical one.
Its not a turn of phrase used in the medical world anymore
But as I said its a flippant point.
As a PWA (not come across that term before but it's what Oxford CEBM use - "person/people with asthma", and given the discussion above I can perhaps see why they came up with it) who has had the jab I no longer have any skin in the game but I still follow the research when I can find it. And Mrs R has also had the jab (she has a condition that's rare enough to not even come up in studies, shielding or priority lists; the doctor vaccinating her said "gosh, you really need this don't you") so I no longer need to be cross with the people trying to push ahead of her in the queue. But:
Kings study disagrees ..as do numerous others
By Kings study I guess you mean the analysis from the Zoe app results. This says:
While asthma was not reported as a factor of risk for hospitalisation in <sup>11</sup>, its association with Long-COVID warrants further investigation.
which contrary to the view of the PWA lobbyists (who knew there was such a thing) is not a smoking gun supporting their prioritisation in the vaccine queue, it just suggests more research needs to be done. And the aim of the CEBM meta review is to avoid cherry picking results that support any particular view. My advice - just go by what your GP says, they probably know better than anyone.
its association with Long-COVID warrants further investigation.
And whilst we are investigating maybe a good idea to err on side of caution no?
Simple fact is covid attacks the lungs. In those with moderate to severe asthma the lungs are already compromised. It doesn't take a genius to work out that could be an issue.
Any study I've seen that suggests asthma isn't a risk factor doesn't stratify the risk by severity of disease. I don't think for a second that if you only have to use your ventolin every other week you are at greater risk. However there are numerous degrees of the severity between that and group 6 qualification. I know folks who have been to a&e multiple times, the common cold leaves them struggling to breath, and who regularly take 4 meds on a daily basis just to breath normally. Yet they don't qualify for the jab against a disease that affects the lungs?
It's also interesting to note that their are not such strict criteria on any other ailment that was previously called out as a risk factor. Take LD for example..Even mild cases qualify for group 6.
Anyway..as mentioned I'm in group 10 and my asthma isn't as bad as many so I should be good
Still a crappy desicion imo though..
And whilst we are investigating maybe a good idea to err on side of caution no?
Not necessarily - don't forget, for everyone that's pushed up in the priority someone else is getting pushed down, and if that's every PWA it's nearly 5M people being pushed down, so someone has to decide if it's increasing or reducing overall risk/pressure on ICU etc. Thankfully vaccination rates now appear to be sufficient that this isn't quite the issue it was.
Not necessarily – don’t forget, for everyone that’s pushed up in the priority someone else is getting pushed down, and if that’s every PWA it’s nearly 5M people being pushed down,
So you were against all folks with learning disabilities getting it then I take it?
Besides it's not 5 million. That would include all children plus those older folks who qualify in groups 1-9 already. It would be about 2mil based on steroid inhaler use. And personally if that means a healthy 40 year old has to wait a week longer to ensure a 25 year-old who requires multiple drugs for their asthma gets it as a priority, then I'm ok with that. As it is that 25 year old will be waiting until July for a jab.
Furthermore, the issue is not that asthmatics wanted pushed up in the priority list. The issue was they were told since day one they were at clinical risk, indeed many had been told to shield for most of last year. If you know anything about the subject you'll also know that for some reason group 4 and group 6 for asthmatics has exactly the same criteria..why's that do you think?
The ommision of most of the others from group 6 was a decision based on death stats which I've already pointed out are fundamentally flawed.
And personally if that means a healthy 40 year old has to wait a week longer to ensure a 25 year-old who requires multiple drugs for their asthma gets it as a priority, then I’m ok with that.
If I were making these decisions at a population level, it's quite possible that I'd look at the evidence for increased risk in PWA and say it's not visible whereas the increase in risk with age is clear. So I would prioritise the 40 year old. If the 25 year old has multiple drugs that control their asthma I'd be happy for their GP to make a judgement at an individual level, they may want to put them in group 6.
Edit: Asthma UK seems to agree with me.
Asthma UK seems to agree with me.
So why then have Asthma uk have publicly come out and said that there is evidence asthma is a risk factor for more severe disease and that they think all asthmatics should be prioritised before the under 50s? They even started a petition on the matter.
I’d look at the evidence for increased risk in PWA and say it’s not visible
Well the risk for long covid was visible and required further investigation. The risk for death wasn't, but you keep skipping over the point that they didn't stratify asthmatics by severity, so the data used for ommision is flawed.
You also keep saying 'it's down to the individual gp' but this is totally ignoring the fact some take a hard line and some show flexibility. Hence why some folks on here have had the jab despite, by their own admission, having mild asthma. Yet my friend hasnt despite being told to shield in March last year, plus requiring a fairly high strength inhaler, daily montelukast tablets plus numerous visits to a&e and occasional oral steroid prescriptions.
Btw..
And Mrs R has also had the jab (she has a condition that’s rare enough to not even come up in studies, shielding or priority lists; the doctor vaccinating her said “gosh, you really need this don’t you”
So vaccinated through an abundance of caution rather than because of any hard evidence of increased risk? All I'm doing is suggesting we do the same for all severe asthmatics.
Well the risk for long covid was visible and required further investigation.
Tim Spector and co were careful with their words. They said “association”, not “risk” ; it may just be a spurious correlation. Anyway, that Asthma UK blog I linked to above explains everything better than I can. Your friend with the asthma maybe wants to be a bit more forthright with her GP.
Oh, and Mrs R was very much vaccinated on the basis of increased risk.
Will people stop using “sufferers” Its really annoys me
Sufferer: A person who is affected by an illness or ailment. Strange thing to say from someone who is in the medical profession.
that Asthma UK blog I linked to above explains everything better than I can.
If you are going to link to asthma uk, at least link to their latest position on vaccination..
Your friend with the asthma maybe wants to be a bit more forthright with her GP.
Thanks.. I'll be sure to pass on your advice as I'm sure she hasn't had that conversation yet..🙄 ffs
Tbh You clearly don't understand the extend of the problem if you are coming out with that. It's not one or 2 people that are missing out here. It's many thousands who are in exactly the same position as my friend (luckily I'm not one of them, my asthma is relatively mild in comparison). Hence why one petition on the subject has around 50k signatures.
link to their latest position on vaccination..
Here you go, updated 3 March:
Which says
We have a blog explaining the priority groups and what this means for people with asthma.
HTH
Asthma UK don't quite contradict themselves but state that group 6 includes asthmatics that have had an emergency admission to hospital for asthma but elsewhere state it requires an overnight admission (which I can't see in any other relevant docs).
On the first I qualify, but I have not been able to book a vaccine. Advice from 119 is to call my GP and get the vaccine via them.
I was fully expecting a vaccine at some point and ahead of 'healthy' people in my age bracket. That said my wife is a teacher and zero chance of not being last in the queue and I still feel very much they should have had 2 doses in the last couple of months in preparation for returning to schools on Monday - and ahead of me.
Here you go, updated 3 March:
That Asthma UK guidance has been wrong from the moment they issued it, and remains so, regardless of where they sourced it. Having a shielding letter (I have one) does not mean you are automatically in group 4 if you are an asthmatic.
It's bizarre they haven't referred properly to the JCVI guidance, and the green book, which is what GPs and health authorities up and down the country are actually using.
My appointment came through my surgery. I was admitted to hospital many many years ago at the start of my asthma but it's been pretty much under control for years. I did end up at the doc's just before Christmas 2019 being wheezy and coughed up blood but the chest x ray came back clear. I can only guess that's why I've had mine last week as my surgery must have put me down as vulnerable.
Out of interest was that an overnight hospital stay?
Might help as and when my doctor gets in contact.
Whilst the jcvi criteria is based on flawed data for first phase, here is the latest study on covid and asthma published in the lancet
If you can't be assed reading it, here's the important bit....
'Patients with asthma were significantly more likely than those without asthma to receive critical care'
Here you go, updated 3 March
So up to date that on 5th of March they posted the following on Twitter ....
At a meeting yesterday, we again outlined evidence showing people with asthma are at a greater risk of needing hospital treatment and long COVID. However, the government outlined no intention of changing from the JCVI’s age-based recommendation for the next vaccination phase.
Individual practices are clearly doing their own thing. I'm already booked in with the main NHS vaccination site in Bradford tomorrow, but got rung up by my practice to offer me one for Sunday. I declined, and then our landline rang a minute later with them offering one for my wife (late 40s, mild to moderate).
Called my doctor, said I am an asthmatic who has been submitted to hospital. They asked me which and when, off that they added me to a list and today got a text link to book. Having it Sat am.
Decent bar my doctor not apparently knowing how severe my asthma can and has been, but that's possibly not their records, more what they have been passed.
Sorry missed the post, IIRC it was 30 years ago I was admitted very late evening and spent a fair few hours in there till the morning. But that's good news boombang.
Yes I am very happy and thankful to be offered it (especially if it helps protect my mum, we are the only people she comes into contact with).
It is a frustration my wife, a teacher, can't get it yet but suppose that will happen in time - maybe summer holidays.
Had it today, I never normally feel flu vaccines or similar but this was very different, like it was a lot more liquid pumped in very quickly.
Anyhow it is done and my wife has been offered it to - no idea why but had a message to say due to her medical condition it was now time.
Just we have no idea what that medical condition is. Only thing she has is Reynauds.
The nhs use some random alogarithm which clearly excludes some folks and includes others who shouldn’t get it. There was an article in the guardian about it last week
My perfectly healthy mate in his mid 30s got offered it last week. Pisses me off abit given 90% of asthmatics aren’t getting priority, but that’s not his fault. If I was in his position I certainly wouldn’t have turned it down
This one? That references people added to shielding lists as well as invited for vaccine, she didn't get asked to shield, but could be lack of info their side (she has never been to her doctor bar registering and taking our son).
As a lot of people would she is having it as cannot get through to her GP to query. Being a teacher at a big secondary I think she and many other groups (basically any people facing job) should have been done back in January, but that is another story.
Well, I had an invite from the NHS yesterday saying I was eligible due to an underlying health condition which must be my asthma. All booked in for Thursday, so it seems it is still potentially treated as a higher priority.
I got the text yesterday to book a jab. 47 and all I can think is it’s because I’m on meds for high blood pressure. In hants. Appt booked for local pharmacy next week.
That's good news jakester
May i ask, do you meet the criteria of steroid tablets/hospital admissions in the past or just flu jab invite and steroid inhaler?
Two of my friends who, like me, just occasionally use ventolin (and don't feel like they're at particularly high risk), and are in their 30s / 40s have been invited. Obviously from a big picture perspective, the inconsistency is relatively small beer compared with the overall success of the vaccination effort, but I do feel for individuals who feel like they've lost out in this lottery!
Oh and Jake, glad you're getting yours me old mate!
Had mine yesterday, 49...I’m asthmatic but it’s mild and well controlled, never been hospitalised and have my flu jab and asthma review every year.
I wasn’t expecting it for a few weeks yet.
I get mine today. 53, mild asthma (controlled with turbo steroid inhaler), flu jab every year & Bristol.