Most people with asthma

[Moosarelli]

Hi Asthma UK.

You say in your post regarding the vaccine and PG 6 query for vaccine that "We now know that for most people with asthma their risk of dying from COVID19 is no greater than that of a person who doesn't have asthma at all."

Just wondering.... Could you expand on who "most people" refers to? Assuming it's not those with severe asthma, so does it include those on daily strong steroid inhalers, those on lesser steroid inhalers or maybe those that only need to use their ventolin every now and then? Would be grateful to have your views on this.

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Thank you for posting this! Asthma is so so varied, no two people are the same, different triggers, different levels of severity, different medications, different flare ups and different control, so it would be very helpful to have this expanded on! Thank you! X

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Most people with asthma are controlled. That’s what they mean. The uncontrolled asthmatics are the ones who are getting earlier access to the vaccine - they are the ones with 2-3+ steroid courses in a year.

I wrote this 3+ months ago when studies started to come out, so hope it explains things a little more; healthunlocked.com/asthmauk...

Hope this explains things better 😅

[Hidden in reply to EmmaF91]

Thank you so much for your posts! They’ve been great to help understand everything! But I think the confusion is about people like me for example who flare at certain times of the year (for me hay fever) but relatively controlled the rest of the year if that makes sense? It’s such a worrying time for everyone, and your posts have been so helpful, so thank you! Xx

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

I can understand that. The JCVI has defined group 6 asthmatics as;

“asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission” (Page 9 assets.publishing.service.g... )

If that helps any. A history of needing hospital or a recent history (last 12 months) of needing multiple courses of steroids. The majority of asthmatics won’t be covered in that (or the group 4 criteria) description. This is the group more at risk of issues. If you ask about on here, the under 50s with asthma *usually* have been able to manage issues at home. The priority list is basically to lessen the demand for hosp beds due to covid (and reduce the fatality list).

On the ‘flares in summer’ front, do you have an action plan for it? Sometimes people do seasonal med escalations to maintain control, and then go back to ‘normal’ when the season ends. For me personally my antihistamine regime changes a lot for summer (for example), and I know others are told to double up their preventer. It may be worth discussing with your team if you think this might help x

[Hidden in reply to EmmaF91]

Thank you, that does help a little to clarify things, it does just feel like we’ve been forgotten about! There are so many differing levels and types of asthma, different treatments etc! Ahh thank you, I do have a good regime hay helps, my asthma nurse has been really good with my asthma plan etc so that’s been reassuring, and when I flared last year my GP was good at getting me some control back! Thank you x

[taperoo in reply to EmmaF91]

I'm not sure if Asthma UK has gotten clarity on group 6 yet, but they were told in the past that asthmatics who are not extremely clinically vulnerable would be in group 6. I think they are still assuming that is the case. The JCVI have given hospital consultants and GP's room to make clinical judgements on who needs to be vaccinated. I'm going to guess that if asthmatics in general are in group 6 (which tbh we should be), they may schedule the vaccinations by order of severity. I'm on the severe mental health register at my GP's so I should be in group 6.

I might email my MP about this, I'm sure this is probably causing stress to a lot of asthmatics. The wording given by the JCVI is about as clear as mud.

[Moosarelli in reply to EmmaF91]

Thanks for this.... I'm new to this forum as had not seen your post from 3 months ago. Like everyone.... it's been quite a worrying time. My asthma has not been particularly easy to control since it was diagnosed and the occasions I have needed prednisone has varied year on year.

Unfortunately following my review with my asthma nurse yesterday morning it appears it is uncontrolled yet again. I'm currently on Seretide 250 twice a day and have now been prescribed montelukast.

Like anyone else in this situation... i.e. sporadic uncontrolled asthma, it seems harsh that we are being judged on when we get our vaccine by how many times in the last year we have been prescribed oral steroids.

I suppose the only thing left now is to wait for AUK to get clarification on whether we will be included in PG6 as they were previously advised, but based on what you have said... its looking pretty unlikely, although it is bizarre that the NHS website still classes serious asthma as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable as do the JCVI and asthma as Clinically Vulnerable which by virtue of the fact we may have been removed from PG6 is at odds with what the JCVI say!

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I think “risk of DYING” is the pertinent wording here. That may be so but asthma increases risk of other adverse outcomes and long covid very significantly. link.springer.com/epdf/10.1...

[Moosarelli in reply to Hidden]

Definitely... well said

[Kitty2823 in reply to Hidden]

Correct. Best wishes. When I saw my pharmacist manager. He knows my medication. He said we are at risk.