I'm with you Pootle1973

[Nurturingfood]

I'm really upset at the changes regarding Asthma & Group 6. Have Gov\their advisors just realised how many people with Asthma there are & panicked their vaccination figures are going to decrease, so we're kicked out the group & told it's OK, probably won't die. Even though we've been told the opposite for months, plenty of poor souls who's only condition was Asthma have lost their lives, we have the annual flu jab to stop us being seriously ill, Covid by their own admission for people with Asthma carries a known risk of long Covid and oh yes Covid's much worse than flu & attacks the lungs. Yet our lung condition shouldn't worry us. I've read the term 'being thrown under the bus' lots of places about this & that sums up how I feel. Life has stopped due to shielding. List 1 job. About to lose another as I can't risk leaving my son without a parent. Had hoped I could Look for work in near future, send my 13 yr old back to school, this now really worries me. We crossed our fingers & social distanced at home Sept to Dec. I'm not risking that again. I have symptoms every single day despite inhalers & have steroids with every cold \ huge trigger. But not in last 3 months because I'm in lockdown & only go for a local walk, son's not at school. Big surprise. Being so careful comes back to bite us, how convenient for them. As is the fact 2nd doses are now about to start, so we'd slow vaccine drive for those too wouldn't we. Is it because they wouldn't hav enough supply with us in Group 6? All I know is the reason they've given is rubbush, contradicts NHS category for us & all the care we normally have to take of ourselves year in/year out, makes no sense. So glad for everyone having\had their vaccine. Just think we should all stay in group 6 & take our warrented turn. Stay well everyone. Keep the faith. Would like to know how we challenge this decision...

[Travelling]

Hi Nurturingfood, sorry you’re feeling stressed about the vaccine groupings.Advice from my asthma consultant ok the summer was that they were able to see that over the first months of covid asthma patients who got it did much better than they expected and they concluded there was no need to put all asthmatics in the shielding group.

They think that inhaled steroids are providing some protection in the lungs from the covid virus doing its worst.

This consultant respiratory physician is an expert in the asthma community so o trust his judgment.

All asthma is not the same and some asthmatics ( severe) are in the shielding group.

The groups have been done according to clinical need so please trust that the advice you have been given us correct.

Having said that, you may have other health issues which are impacted by COVID so please keep your GP up to date about how your stress levels are and how you are feeling regarding risk.

Take care xx

[Jollygood]

Arrrgggghhh. I totally agree. I’ve had troublesome asthma for over a year with symptoms every day over this winter. There’s no way I would describe myself as controlled although I’m extremely lucky that I’ve never been admitted. I’m currently waiting for a referral which is not going to come any time soon. Even the asthma nurse advised me to shield. I was aiming to go private which would free up an nhs slot but I don’t want to do that until I’ve been vaccinated. Maybe we should write to our MP???

[Itswonderful in reply to Jollygood]

I don’t think that you can pay privately for a covid jab I. The UK.

[Jollygood in reply to Itswonderful]

Oh thanks, I meant pay privately to see a consultant about the asthma. I think if we could pay for a jab there would be a stampede!!

[Itswonderful in reply to Jollygood]

Oh I see! Sorry! 😂. Yes I laid for a private consultation as I felt I would die if something didn’t change and it was the best thing ever. My GP surgery just kept scratching their heads and saying - well we don’t understand why your peak flow is dropping. You are on The best treatment plan. - Turns out I needed a long course of pred and different inhalers. As soon as this happened I was so much better. I cried when the consultant immediately understood what going on. He said I was on a child’s dose of inhalers and they were not right for me anyway. I am being investigated for a possible biologic treatment but it’s taking a while as the AN was. It keen on prescribing even though I was struggling to breathe. And of course now I’m shielded I haven’t been anywhere to get a flare up so I have only had to have a couple of pred courses this year. I’m on the brilliant consultant’s NHS list now and I have had consultations with SALT and the chest physio and both have really helped me. I’m forever grateful. Good luck.

[Jollygood in reply to Itswonderful]

Oh wow, thanks so much for your positive words; it really makes a difference. As soon as I’ve had my jab i’m going to look into going private. Best wishes with the bio if it goes ahead 🤞

[Bea2000]

Completely agree!! I have dropped out of uni for they year because I did not feel it was safe to return, so I am living at home, but my mum is a doctor, who sees covid patients everyday, so still very worried about getting covid. And I am very unlikely to get the vaccine in group 6 from what I can see but 🤞🤞

[Ts777]

You poor thing. I agree totally.

So asthmatics are safer than they thought... well where’s the evidence? And if we are less likely to die what about long COVID?

The truth is that if we are less likely to die in 28 days of infection, not that I’ve seen anything that convinces me, what about the long term effects?

Will twitchy lungs become a bit more twitchy, impossibly twitchy or worse over time? What will the impact be after infection? After those 28 days? We’ll all be here long after COVID panics are over. What will people be experiencing then?

Boy, that feels better.