On both occasions before receiving the Pfizer vaccine the practitioner - a different one each time - asked my medical conditions and after telling her I have fibromyalgia she told me that this complaint causes immunosuppression, has anyone else been told this.
She also told me that I may not get any benefit from the vaccination, or may get just a little, but any benefit would be a plus. It is quite chilling to think that my immunity to COVID-19 is very low or non existent.
Was anybody else told this before being vaccinated. I was vaccinated at the Llandudno mass vaccination centre, north Wales. Vaccinated by different person each time but told the same each time.
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Austing2253
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Hi there, fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune disease, which occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks your own cells and tissues. So I fail to see how it can cause immunosuppression 🤔
I think you have picked something up incorrectly as there is not an autoimmune type of fibro and CNS. There is a discussion about the cause/source of fibro and this has ranged from the brain, autoimmune, peripheral nerves, mouse retrovirus, other virus and many more things. At present the body of evidence supports a CMS/brain origin more than anything else.
Also, and autoimmune condition does not make you immunocompromised although the treatments for it can. This is why some treatments for arthritis for example resulted in people obtaining the vaccine early as their immune system was compromised by the treatment and not the condition.
first of all no and the practitioners are ill informed or are referring to perhaps another aspect of your conditions like treatments.
While this article is about covid from April last year it is relevant to your question. Cited specialists like Wolfe the info is worth reading. Could have used this article last year.creakyjoints.org/living-wit...
Hi Austing2253 , I have read with interest all of the above, and agree that having Fibromyalgia does not make you immunosuppressive, but certain medication used to treat other illnesses alongside Fibromyalgia can.
A point worth remembering, the Personnel who administer the vaccine, especially in large Community settings, are not necessarily qualified Medical Practitioners who are qualified to treat, and minister to, human beings.
In order to get the vaccination program rolled out as quickly as possible, all sorts of people were recruited. For instance, trainee Vets, Pharmacists, nurses, Opticians, etc, anyone with any link at all to Medicine, Anatomy, Science etc., even Army Personnel. They did a few hours intense training in how to draw up and administer the Vaccine into the upper arm. They were given cards to read as to what to ask, and to say to the people coming forward, and were instructed not to hesitate to ask a nearby Qualified person if there was anything the Patient asked that they didn’t understand. There were plenty of Qualified Medical Personnel working alongside the unqualified ones to help if something went wrong, but obviously couldn’t hear any answers to questions asked by patients. So it is more than likely the person who gave you your information was not qualified to do so, and in fact gave you misinformation.
Hoping that the link from desquinn clarifies all your questions.
I wonder whether the vaccinators have maybe mixed fibro with Polymyalgia? Didnt help that Austing2253's GP didnt clarify it further when they had the opportunity.🙄
My 14 year diagnosis of Fibro now rediagnosed as Ankylosing Spondylitis. Now that I am recently on anti-TNF injection therapy I have to carry an immunosuppressed card with me. I was told by Kings College Hospital that fibro is not an immunosuppressed condition but Ankylosing Spondylitis is. Hope this helps.
Although the Vaccines are only on emergency use registration, they are properly tested and and evaluated. They are as safe as they can be with benefits outweighing risks. Of course there are sectors that were not part of the initial testing and so it is in real life use we are learning how the vaccine works for certain types of people. Not experimenting, just learning.
People with auto immune conditions, esp now there are variants, are seeing lower than expected coverage. People taking immune supressing drugs are getting less too but I think that was expected regardless of the drs optimism. Lets face it, if the immune system is kicking in and creating an excellent response then it would seem to point to the drug failing to work effectively. Remember, people who take these drugs do so because they are suffering badly, with immune systems flaring, and need relief.
Of note were the Cancer patients. They got less coverage. But it was mainly the Blood cancers that were of concern. In treatment or not, these patients were seen to get no coverage after 2 doses. Nil, Nada, Zip, Zero. Good to know before you go acting as though you are covered hey?
It was in the news the other day that a third jab might be the charm for immune compromised patients. The Govt was considering. I read up and Specialists are not so keen to just keep jabbing. They are looking at the data and wanting to know what is going on. If the ave is 30% protection for these patients, we don't know what individuals have achieved. Maybe a third dose will give 45%? Maybe if 2 doses achieve Nada, 3 will do no more? Remember, many of these patients are already on, or soon to be on, strong treatments and we have to consider the dangers of cocktails etc.
I thought it was very interesting and that the specialists were very sensible wanting to know more, before jabbing indiscriminately. I hope they will be given time to research and evaluate. Maybe soon we will see advice not to Jab those with Blood cancers? Why put them through this process if there can be no benefit? Better to treat the condition first?
It does make me think taking away protections for vulnerable people to shield, work from home etc would be a big mistake.
We hoped for 95% immunity when the Vaccines were registered; They say in the majority, we have achieved maybe 80%? Sadly for many this is only 30% or nil. In addition, the Delta virus is 80% more infectious and we know the vaccine does not stop people contracting Covid, just lessons symptoms. If the Delta is less deadly, it isn't completely clear how much as this is distorted by so many people vaccinated, getting less ill. Someone better than me needs to crunch numbers and figure what all this means.
The reality is, vaccinated people will catch and transmit covid. They will mostly do this quite safely with some folks getting ill with flu or cold like symtoms; Easy to manage. Unless you are vulnerable. For these people it is going to be less comfortable. They are still at risk when they hoped to finally be getting their lives back.
I suspect as we get used to living with covid, standards will slip, people wont test and take time off for the odd sniffle; What's the point? Except for protecting more vulnerable people. Covid will start to seem much less deadly or threatening and stopping fit folks making a living and going about their business, can't go on for ever.
The blatant truth is, we must have effective treatments. We can protect the fit. And some, not so fit, but for the rest we need effective protocols and treatments to ensure they are looked after too. We must put money in to this type of research. We know most people don't get massively sick with Covid especially now they are vaccinated too, but for those that do, this illness is clearly devastating and people need to lobby govts to insist effective treatments are found; And quickly!!
Regarding who has auto immune issues? Fibros, ME, IBS people is a massive unknown because there is still debate and we don't know to what degree individual immune systems are compromised. The right thing to do was to offer Jabs to all in hopes most would benefit but like I say, We seriously need treatments now. Without this I believe people will continue to suffer (and be fearful too) and we will see many more cases of Long Covid because we simply are not doing what is needed in a timely fashion to help people recover from this virus.
Hi Austing. This is very worrying. I did ask my doctor before taking the jabs whether she advised it considering I had not only fibro but also am hypothyroid and in fact two different doctors both thought I should have it. I queried the second time because I was really ill for 24 hours after the first one, but was told this showed my immune system was kicking in, and not to miss the second one. So I didn't and did not side effects from that, fortunately. I have also asked about taking the shingles vaccination as I am finally eligible this year, but she did not think it necessary, so I haven't pursued it. I don't know whether that is wise or not? The doctors are really not much help. I am starting to lose faith. I do have the flue jab every year. I am very concerned because I am feeling really ill at the moment and have been, on and off throughout the pandemic. I know this isn't much different from normal, and that stress and anxiety are playing a part but after I have read about the long term covid symptoms I am convinced fibro has a virus link in there somewhere. Why can they be researching all this for long term covid but leave us still suffering when many of us have been suffering badly for years?
No I wasn't, I got Astra Zenica and have not been advised anything like that and I haven't read anything about this. Might be worth getting advice from your GP.
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