Here I am back , banging on yet again about the over 79s getting the Respiratory Seasonal Virus vaccine.
Have just spent a miserable Christmas mostly in bed with what I thought was a cold, causing a flare up of my bronchiectasis.
By Friday, despite having started my rescue pack of antibiotics and steroids several days earlier, I was still feeling very poorly and I was lucky enough to get an appointment at my health centre.
After listening to my chest I was sent to my local hospital A and E, where among other tests I had Covid, RSV and flu swabs taken .
It turned out that I RSV….
It was eventually decided that I wouldn’t be admitted, despite the technicoloured stuff I was coughing up, but should I become worse then to go back. I have been told that it could take me 3 -4 weeks before I feel better.
I do wonder if I had been able to have this vaccine ( I’m 81 now) it might have prevented, or at least protected me from being so ill.
I have submitted an online petition to the Government to try and get this vaccine made available to a wider range of ages - especially those with chronic illnesses, instead of the narrow range now between 75 - 79.
I am waiting for the Government Petition site to decide to publish. If I am successful I will post the link on here .
The petition gets debated in the Commons if there are enough signatures .
Fingers crossed. X
Written by
Kiwiflyer8
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I am sorry to hear that you have been so ill, and I hope that you won't take too long recovering. I will certainly sign a petition for people outside the age range with certain acute illnesses to receive the RSV injection. I am 70 and have COPD. I think it is ridiculous that people like us are not able to have the jab.
Good on you chook, if you have a respiratory condition like me (copd) well worth it. I think out of 3 viruses lately that the last one was exactly that. Hit me for six and also just started trelegy but don't actually know if it's actually worked 😅. My respiratory nurse keeps telling me use it or loose it, it's alright for her to say that but put yourself in our shoes and do the same. Makes my blood boil. If you need signatures I am all there. I hope you are feeling alright soon. This time of year there are so many things going around that you just want to close yourself off to anyone and anything, but do we. It's impossible. 😉🙄
I’m sorry to hear you’ve been so poorly. I’ll definitely sign your petition. I have asthma, bronchiectstasis and ILD, but I’m only 68 so no chance of the RSV!
I’m happy to sign a petition as Pete is only 73 but extremely vulnerable. It’s ridiculous that only people of a certain age can have the jab. Who decides such things?
Hoping you feel much better soon. Wishing you well. Xxx❤️
Sassy put her finger on it! WHO decides such things as the eligibility for these vaccines. Certainly not anyone who has any true knowledge of those most at risk. There is a lot of secrecy and smoke and mirrors about it. I only got the RSV vaccine because my consultant wrote to my GP and this allowed them to go against the rules .I am 74. Today I heard of a friend of mine 62 with asthma who is seriously ill with RSV and it has caused a major asthma attack. The problem is made worse because when people with serious lung conditions end up in A&E with RSV they do not know how these patients should be treated and give them the same advice that they are giving normally healthy people who catch RSVAnyone with bronchiectasis should be given antibiotics, especially if they are showing the signs of an exacerbation as you are. People who know about bronch know that bacterial exacerbations ride in on the back of viruses. Don't wait 4 weeks by which time you could be very poorly.Do get to your GP and get additional antibiotics for the exacerbation which you are already showing if your rescue pack is not doing the job.
And yes, I will certainly sign your petition and we need open access to the decision making process.
Thank you Swizzy. I am actually taking my rescue pack of antibiotics and was told at the hospital to stop them as it is a Virus infection and they don’t help.
With the horrible stuff I’m still coughing up , I’m erring on the side of caution and still taking them!
I have my respiratory physio calling in the morning so I’ll get her take on it…
Hope your friend gets better soon and everyone else who’s poorly too x
The advice given at A&E and your decision to keep taking the abs proves that you know much more about bronch than they do. I don't trust any medics, nurses etc except my bronch specialist. They simply don't have the training in it. I doubt if your physio will have any better knowledge of how viruses allow exacerbations to take hold in bronch but you never know.
Today I had a home visit by a respiratory nurse together with a respiratory physiotherapist to go through all the breathing exercises to help me to bring up mucus as I have Bronchiectasis together with Asthma and copd. They had a very good understanding of Bronch. So far I have had four home visits by nurse specialist who I might add had explained far better than my Consultant regarding my respiratory problems . I believe that after spending over an hour with me today plus all the other visits she has made I have a far better understanding of my problems as the Consultant as good as she is can only spend about 15-20 minutes with me. I live in the Worcestershire area. She visited today at lunch time and by 5pm my changed prescription was ready for family to collect for me.
I too have spent the best part of two weeks & xmas in bed. Saw doc & he dx RSV or covid. He also refused abs "it's a medical impossibility for a virus to become a bacterial infection"! grrrrrr so I'm taking my winter prophylactic Azithromycin every day and a very dear friend has sent me 21 × 500mg abs. I too am furious about the RSV vaccination age limitation, I mentioned to doc I'm 3 months too young for it & he laughed. I hate him even more. I'll definitely sign your petition - are they practicing euthanasia?
I’m sorry to hear that peeve. It’s rotten luck, isn’t it! I really don’t think enough is being done about RSV. It’s a big concern to those who have respiratory problems and should not be dismissed lightly.
I really think that some Doctors don’t understand it and make flippant statements. If I wasn’t taking my ‘rescue pack’ antibiotics I’d certainly be taking my Azithromycin 3 times a week doses.
Maybe I am really wrong on this, my understanding was that if you reach the age of 80 before August 2025 you can still have the vaccine . Apologies if I am wrong.
totally agree everyone should be vaccinated. My friend and neighbour was taken to A&E Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day was in an induced coma on a ventilator due to zRSV making her COPD 100 times worse. She’s still in the coma at the moment. She’s 69 so didn’t have the vaccine. I will support any petition as age shouldn’t be a factor. Hearing about my friend really scared me so I’m having the vaccine Tuesday, privately in Boots and I’m very grateful I have the money. I think everyone should also get their respiratory clinic doctor to contact their GP and recommend the vaccine as they are vulnerable. GP can’t ignore the hospital
I do hope that your friend makes a good recovery soon, it makes me so angry reading about cases like this, everyone like us and your friend should be able to get the Vaccination on the NHS. I didn't know we can get it privately, I will look into it for myself.
My grandson 4yrs old at time + asthmatic,was hospitalised with rsv.he was very ill with struggling to breath,rapid noisy breathing,heart rate way too fast,vomiting etc.he did recover with good management but it's a nasty virus
Hi like you December was a washout, Christmas was the worst ever, I thought I had one of those awful winter viruses, coughing non stop, clear sputum lots of it, sent in a sputum sample came back as usual with psdeumonos , taken 10 days of cipro, no better, taken another 5 days still no better and breathless, I’m assuming it’s the dreaded bronchiecstasis ! the day after boxing day saw doctor said chest clear and sats good but sending me for chest x ray, I have had no temperature. I have a respiratory appointment on 2 January so hope to get some help and advice. I had both flu and RSV vacs . I do hope you get well
So sorry to hear that you also were poorly over Christmas. Like you, it was my worst ever. I too saw someone at my health centre who listened to my chest, heard ‘a lot’ of crackling and sent me to A and E.
There I had an X-ray… which showed my chest as clear. Hope yours will be too.🤞🏻
Really sorry that you have been so ill. My husband was in hospital for IV treatment in September. I asked the respiratory consultant why patients over 80 with lung conditions were not being given the RSV vaccination. I had recently had mine. The restrictive age range makes no sense at all. I should be based on vulnerability of the patient. We were told it was thought that vaccinations lose their effectiveness the older you get. Personally I think it’s money saving on the part of the Government.
I think you are absolutely right in what you’re saying about government savings! As for vaccinations being less effective…. Is this trying to justify us not being able to get it?
I totally agree with all the above people's comments. I myself think we should also get the rsv vaccine.it would surely save the govt money and free up hospital beds
I would certainly sign the petition. I am lucky to be in the age range to have had the jab ghis yesr. I am pretty certain I had RSV last Christmas. It took me 2 months to start to feel better and my immune system was so shot that I then got covid followed by shingles! I am still not as fit as I was pre the infection . I get tired quickly but at least I feel better. I hope we can sign your petition. Wishing you well.
I'll certainly sign! I'm too young and my husband's too old. He's got heart failure and I've got chronic asthma with fixed airways and bronchiectasis.
We both had a viral infection recently. Mine started at the weekend so I started my rescue anti b's. On Monday a random gp, completely unknown to me, told me over the phone it was clearly a virus so didn't need the antib's. He then said, "but as you've started them you might as well take them for 5 days."
I told him I usually took them for 2 weeks due to having bronch and said that's what I intended to do.
Reg and I were really unwell and my afib returned but seems to be settling at last.
I think we may have had RSV.
Hope to see and sign the petition. Good on you for trying to get it set up.
I'm sorry you've bern so unwell and hope you soon get back to normal.
My GP recently gave me the RSV vaccine following a 'red letter' request from a specialist Rheumatology nurse. I met the above criteria rather than the JVCI age restrictions Ie severely immunosuppressed.
Hi, sorry to hear of your experience and hope that this clears up as soon as possible. I have written before about this vaccine so will not repeat my thoughts on the matter. But, I will ask our doctor about any possible benefit, even though it is not used at all in France except for babies and very young children. Have a good day, and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Hi. Poor you, I caught it from my grandchildren and agree it’s awful and went on for about 5weeks. Hope you’re feeling better. I’ve been looking into the vaccine as I was keen to get it, looking after the grandkids regularly I’m exposed to all sorts of things. I’ve just seen, and not sure how much it is, Boots are doing it. Could be an option??
I did make enquiries once about having one done privately and found that that was the cost….. 😣There aren’t many places in the country that you can even go to get it even if you pay.
We have flu vaccinations, Covid vaccinations, to try and protect us - why not RSV!
Hi there, I've never spoken on here before. I get so much advice and thank you for putting this up! I'm just out of hospital, 58 years old, infective exasperation of bronchiectasis, sepsis and RSV. I nearly lost my life. I would definitely sign a petition. The hospital wrote to gp and said I must have vaccine when I'm well enough but gp has refused. So I really hope petition goes well. Again, so glad you posted this, thank you. Stay well x
GP's aren't reimbursed for vaccines outside of the JVCI criteria unless a request is made via Consultants or specialist nurses. In those instances payment is made by the manufacturer directly to the GP. Sounds a crazy way to work!
I replied earlier on, and then went to do morning jobs. Not a pleasant thought when we hhave freezing fog, temp is still negative. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my granddaughter had already put the horses out and cleaned the stables, leaving me time to warm myself up.
I appreciate the problems that can occur due to this RSV but you have to accept that the cost involved comes into the equation. Imagine, for example, the government decided to vaccinate everyone over the age of 50. There are about 20 million people in this age range. Cost of vaccine £200 per person. Total 4 Billion. An average doctor earns about £50,000, some more, juniors less. 4 billion would cover the cost of 80,000 dotors or 20,000 doctors and 3 hospitals.
When you go shopping you check to see how much you have in your purse, and spend accordingly. The present government discovered that after 14 years of tory chaos the purse is all but empty. The UK needs to pay more National Insurance, not less.
Thank you for your reply. I will let you know what the consultant says. I can't afford the private jab. I find it strange when I've had the covid jabs, had the flu jab and then there's all this cuffufle over RSV. The consultant has said it will take a long time to recover but I'm doing well, just so much more mucous than ever before and tiredness is not like me, but I'm here and grateful. I shall follow with interest and hope x thank you x be safe
I too went down with respiratory issues only recently diagnosed with bronchiectasis. I felt I should have been in bed but I stayed pottering. I have just turned 70. As I type this I still have a few days of Doxycycline to take after completing the steroids.
Yes I agree with you, we need as much protection as we can get. After all if one’s respiratory system fails due to COVID so we have shield where is the argument ? The is not one !
Do hope the petition works. My husband got RSV vaccination, but, despite having bronchiectasis, I wasn't eligible at age 74. I’ve just had a miserable week of flu like symptoms and flare up. Could it be that too?!
Hi so sorry to hear you’ve been so poorly. Wishing you a speedy recovery, rest up as much as you can. Having COPD the rules surrounding the RSV vaccine do not add up, apparently it’s a financial decision but I don’t see how that makes sense. I have had the Covid vaccine, flu vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine this year, all recommend by my Health Professionals via the NHS. Why is RSV any different? People with respiratory conditions are more susceptible to complications serious illness from RSV regardless of their age. If you are successful with your petition please do post on here, I will be more than happy to sign it. Hope you feel better real soon and have a better 2025 x
I had an appointment with my Respiratory Consultant a couple of weeks ago after having had a copd flare up. She said she was going to contact my GP to see if I could get the RSV vaccination. I won't hold my breath because I asked about it and was told that I won't be eligible until I am 75. Only another 10 years to wait. It is ridiculous. I am looking forward to your petition as I most definitely will sign it. Stay safe.
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