I'm 66, and have AFib, Flutter and non severe Asthma. None of my conditions qualify me for elevation into the top 4 Tiers. I'm Tier 5 by virtue of my age.
As it happens I have been vaccinated for other reasons, but not because of my health.
"I have atrial fibrillation - am I at increased risk of coronavirus?
If you have atrial fibrillation (AF) or another heart rhythm problem, there isn’t enough information at the moment to tell if it puts you at higher risk from coronavirus complications. It seems likely that if your atrial fibrillation is well controlled (you're being treated for the condition and the treatment has lowered your heart rate towards the normal range), your risk is lower. We’re sorry that we can’t offer you more certainty. We would recommend caution and minimising your risk of getting coronavirus as much as possible. For example, by strictly sticking to the guidance, strictly following social distancing and washing your hands frequently".
Thank you very much for your post though Wil. As stated before it's always nice to read your posts and know you are doing well and keeping safe.
Hi yes I read that bit too,the other bit was lower down.
I expect we will just sit tight and await the phone call!
Have been laid up over a week with horrible tummy bug ..bp went down to 60/40 so spoke to Dr ,taken me off bp meds for now. Back up to 110/65 today so that's good ...🙄🙄
Just a note off caution back in March I had a horrid tummy bug & when tested - organised by my son as felt so ill - it was covid - it didn’t spark my AF. - goodness knows how I escaped that complication
Here's the extract from the BHF site for the order of priority:1. Older people who live in a care home, and their carers
2. Frontline health and social care workers, and all those 80 years of age and over
3. People aged 75 and over
4. People aged 70 and over, and clinically extremely vulnerable people (the shielding group) aged 16 to 69
5. People aged 65 and over
6. People aged 16 years to 64 with health conditions which put them at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from coronavirus. These include heart or circulatory disease, as well as diabetes, chronic lung, kidney or liver disease, extreme obesity and if your immune system isn't working properly.
People who are unpaid carers for someone who relies on them (including those who get carers' allowance)
7. People aged 60 and over
So people with AF fall into cat 6 if less than 65 years old, NOT cat 4 unless over 70. Cats 1-4 should be done by mid Feb. I'm in cat 5 so I hope to be done by mid March. Cat 6 by May.
I ¿had? AF - but it has been "cured" by three cardioversions and two Catheter Ablations ...but the more serious problem was the bradycardia - and that has been "fixed" with a pacemaker.
I had my vaccination on Friday evening - as I am an NHS volunteer.
They say one might get symptoms 24 to 48 hour later.
I had virtually no local discomfort in my arm.
I felt a little un-energetic 18 hours in.
22 to 26 hours in I had a migraine-ish headache, tight chest, sore neck, palpitations aching legs and some gastro discomfort. I felt too ill to watch television - and listened to the radio.
36 hours in I had some discomfort in the appendix area.
A reaction to a vaccine is considered to indicate that the vaccine worked - and will give you good immunity. "They" say that the vaccine gives you better immunity that the disease.
I am 71, I have never smoked or drunk alcohol, and I am at my ideal weight.
I have been taking "all the recommended supplements", including Quercetin, Zinc, Vitamins D and C, Magnesium, Niacin and Selenium.
Up until recently, I felt rough for about two months - and I wonder if I had mild "Long Covid" - there is not much information about Long Covid - but it might be viral persistence - and I am wondering if the appendix might be a site where the virus can hide?
Half a week after the vaccination... I think I have recovered.
Does my heart condition mean I will get the vaccine sooner?
If you have heart disease you will be prioritised for the vaccine alongside other people with health conditions that increase your risk from coronavirus. The government says that means you should receive the vaccine by May, whatever age you are. Heart disease includes
atrial fibrillation
coronary heart disease that means you take regular medication and/or have regular follow-up (this includes angina, heart attack and heart bypass, no matter how long ago)
congenital heart disease
heart failure
a history of blood clots (such as deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism)
Just to add support to the view that AF puts one in 'group 6'... A bit of digging around online turns up NHS 'Patient Group Directions' for the administration of the Covid vaccines, and they explicitly cite AF as one of the forms of 'heart disease' that puts people into group 6. See e.g. Appendix A on p. 22 of the file available here: tinyurl.com/yxn3rd2w
A similar point presumably applies to flu vaccines, however, and in my experience GPs can fail to contact people with AF about those; I've not been contacted about a flu vaccine this year, despite having tried to sort one out through our GP's reception desk numerous times (they're probably very busy, so it's fairly understandable). I'm quite keen to sort out a Covid vaccine, though, so I'm making an appointment with my GP to ask about the flu vaccine but, of course, more to ensure that whatever factors have pushed me off the flu vaccine list don't also push me off the Covid one!
I wouldn't have thought that AF alone would qualify you. In any case, you can confirm that, as you will have a letter from the Department of Health & Social care stating that you are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV); my current letter is dated 7 January. I have a few other things besides AF that put me in group 4. The Government might say that the over 70s and CEV are being vaccinated, but I'm still waiting for an invite to the first injection.
NHS documents relating to the vaccine roll-out seem explicitly to identify AF as one of the heart problems that puts people in group 6. The document that you've linked to above refers to the green book of NHS vaccination guidance for further details of the risk groups. Chapter 14a of the green book seems to identify AF as one of the conditions that puts one into group 6, in table 3 on p 9: it singles out people with 'congenital heart disease, hypertension with cardiac complications, chronic heart failure, individuals requiring regular medication and/or follow-up for ischaemic heart disease. This includes individuals with atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease or a history of venous thromboembolism'.
I guess that there may be a question, though, about whether that final sentence is saying that all individuals with AF are in group 6, or merely that those people who are in the relevant group - on account of having congenital heart disease or other relevant conditions - include people with AF (although they aren't in the group merely on account of having AF). What's a bit odd about that last interpretation of the text, however, is that it is then unclear why AF is mentioned at all, as it doesn't really bear on membership in group 6.
Added later: the text here - tinyurl.com/y3qrapjm - at a NICE webpage relating to COVID vaccination seems more clearly in line with the view that AF automatically puts one into group 6: it is the largely same as the text quoted earlier, but with a slight difference, in that a crucial portion of it reads '... individuals requiring regular medication and/or follow-up for ischaemic heart disease, including individuals with atrial fibrillation, ...'.
Interesting thought: that would make some sense, although I imagine that it might be politically quite hard for them to shift the focus away from the people in most immediate danger from the disease - the sort of forwards-planning you're talking about hasn't been the govt's strongest suit throughout this business... Be interesting to see what the scientists start saying, though, as I get a sense that the govt is maybe getting a bit more cautious about things, in the way that the scientists have tended to be.
I had my vaccine on Sunday. I am 64 and had a successful ablation in 2017 which I guess pu me on the list 6.? I am usually quite energetic but have been laid quite low since the jab. Very glad to have got it though,
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