Quick Question to anyone previously shielding, over 70 and in Scotland

[Froggie70]

Hi all,

It’s been a while since I’ve posted on the site but I’ve been keeping up to date with all your posts. I hope you’re all keeping safe and as well as you can.

I have a question to anyone in their 70s who was/is officially shielding and lives in Scotland. Have you received your letter inviting you for your vaccination? My Dad has neutropenia and may need a bone marrow transplant, my aunt has just finished chemo for Non Hodgkins and neither has received an invite but at least a dozen friends all in their 70s with no health conditions have all received letters and are booked in. I know of two other shielders in their 70s who have heard nothing?

Just wondered if this was a coincidence or if the guidelines for who was being vaccinated had changed up here.

Keep safe. XX

[happytulip]

Eeek! I can't help you with any advice about what's going on in Scotland but just wanted to send good vibes. That's really hard with the neutropenia issue. Is it chronic at the moment?

I guess your aunt may be OK to have the vaccine if her WBC comes back OK? Sounds like a call needs to be put into their haematology and Onc teams.

Sending love Froggie x

[Froggie70 in reply to happytulip]

Hello there. Thank you for the good vibes🥰. Yeah it’s chronic and goes up and down like a yo-yo. Always low just varying degrees of low, so it’s a watch and see game at the moment. Think phone calls will be the order of the day tomorrow. Hope you’re ok and keep safe🤗.

[happytulip in reply to Froggie70]

Good luck with the calls. It might take a while but will be worth it in the end.

When I had idiopathic neutropenia my levels went as low as 0.5 and they still gave me flu jabs. But I'm SLE, not a haem pt, seriously, good luck x

[Hidden]

I’m sorry for what’s going on with your family and yourself. I just wanted to say that it’s not just the over 70s who are in this next group but all who are clinically extremely vulnerable/ shielding as well. I am in Scotland and shielding and was told by text I’d be getting mine by mid February so I’m giving it another week before I phone my GP practice. My husband is under 60 but also my carer and is meant to be getting urgent investigations for bladder cancer but has heard nothing about this or about whether he gets the Covid vaccine first. Communications have been zero lately for shielding people of working age too. I know over 80s who are have better health than I do so it’s shielders you maybe need to ask rather than over 70s.

Did you get this text?

GOV.SCOT

As someone who is on the shielding list, you will be offered your first coronavirus vaccine dose by mid-February. Your NHS health board or GP will contact you soon. You do not need to do anything in the meantime. We are prioritising people for the vaccine based on their risk of serious illness if they catch coronavirus. If you are 80 or over you will be offered the vaccine by 5 February. Find out more about the vaccine at nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccine

[Froggie70 in reply to Hidden]

Hello there, thanks for your reply. Dad did get a text but then heard nothing. It’s just all his friends have had letters and on Friday Jean Freeman our Health Secretary said the over 65s were being contacted starting this week. I just wondered were they changing the plans and leaving those previously on the shielding list for now seeing as they were shielding anyway. With regards to myself I think I’m in group 6 but wouldn’t be surprised if I got bumped down the list due to vaccine shortages in EU and the call for essential workers to be prioritised. To be honest I think the healthiest thing I can do is stop watching the news🤔. Thanks again and take care. X

[Hidden in reply to Froggie70]

I feel for you. I have lost my business and income due to the pandemic so personally I think they should have prioritised shielders of working age who are low income and need to get back to work. At least people receiving pensions can afford to stay home and shield or self isolate - especially the healthier, wealthier ones. There’s a lot of unfairness about this vaccine policy - but here in Scotland some of us shielders appear to have been forgotten about. Out of sight so out of mind. I’m phoning my Gp practice tomorrow to ask. X

[MEGS53 in reply to Hidden]

Hi. I really feel for you; I've been following your posts and I'm sad that you've lost so much recently. Hang on in there, times can only get better. Sending huge hugs, 🤗🤗🤗

[Hidden in reply to MEGS53]

Thanks. Hugs back. Still waiting for my phone call but I’m guessing it will be later in the day xx

[MEGS53 in reply to Hidden]

🤞🤞🤞Sending more hugs,

🤗🤗🤗

[Froggie70 in reply to Hidden]

I’m so sorry to hear about your business, that’s awful. I know I’m lucky that I can work from home so I will sit tight and wait and see what happens. More concerned for my Dad, I just want him to get the vaccine. I lost my Mum this time last year so it’s just all weighing on my mind. You take care of yourself 🤗.

[Hidden in reply to Froggie70]

Aww that’s hard - hope your dad gets his vaccine ASAP. My gp practice only finished over 80s today - start over 70s next I believe.

[Lizard28]

I’ve not had my letter yet, I’m 66 and on the shielding list. I did get a text from govscot saying that it would be mid feb I’d be getting it. Waiting anxiously for that letter as well, maybe postie will bring it today. I have a few friends over 70 that have had their letter and are getting it this week, maybe they are doing that age first then the shielders, I don’t know.

[MEGS53 in reply to Lizard28]

Hi. I live in NE England and I've been told that in this area they're jabbing the over 70ies and then the CEVs. So maybe not too long to wait, xxx

[Froggie70 in reply to Lizard28]

Hi there, yes that’s what I wondered although I would have thought they would have done shielders first. Who knows, my worry is that no one does. Keep safe and I hope you get your letter soon. X

[MEGS53 in reply to Froggie70]

Thank you!Apparently, I'll get a phone call - hopefully soon.

Hope you get yours soon too. Stay safe, xxx

[Barbara17]

As far as I’m aware all people in Scotland on the shielding list, regardless of age, are being contacted by a phone call from their GP and will not get the general letter from the nhs being sent to most over 70s. Vaccine supplies to GP’s in Scotland have been sporadic but I know that my practice has now completed vaccinating the over 80s and is moving on to younger age groups. I would suggest you phone their GP just to verify this. Hope this helps.

[Hidden in reply to Barbara17]

I tried phoning my practice this morning but phones are down. They are hoping to finish all the non homebound over 80s in our area today so it says on website. I am expecting a GP to phone about a UTI which seems to have travelled up to my kidneys now - according to the pharmacist who went next door to tell reception about me. I will ask if any when they call. I think you’re right and it’s been a distribution issue. Over 70s are next I think.

[Froggie70 in reply to Hidden]

I hope you feel better soon. X

[Froggie70 in reply to Barbara17]

Oh dear, phoned GP and they know nothing about it🤔

[Hidden in reply to Froggie70]

My practice nurse wouldn’t talk about it either.

[Barbara17 in reply to Froggie70]

That’s awful! My local lupus group posted nhs Lothian’s rollout. I’ll try and attach it. nhslothian.scot/Coronavirus...

All health boards in Scotland should be following this timetable

[Babsy2]

Hi, yes I have had my date for Covid injection. I am 72, live in Central Scotland. To be perfectly honest, I know of others who haven’t had any letters yet, but it’s a bit of a shambles, despite what the Scottish Gov. tells us. Hope your Dad gets his jab soon.

[Froggie70 in reply to Babsy2]

Thank you. Still no letter and GP knows nothing. I think Manuel from Fawlty Towers must be running the show as no one knows anything😉

[junemc]

The vaccination programme in Scotland is a shambles and is way behind the progress being made in England. I think all of us will have to wait longer here. I would suggest contacting your father's GP and see if he can help. Best of luck!

[Barbara17 in reply to junemc]

Jeane Freeman didn’t help by saying last week we’d all get letters, after we’d all been told by text from Scottish government that we’d get a phone call. Shambles just about sums it up.

[Froggie70 in reply to junemc]

Hi I wanted to reply directly seeing as you were kind enough to reply to me but same as I’ve said above GP knows nothing, neither do NHS Lanarkshire nor The Scottish Covid Helpline. You are so right, a shambles. Stay safe. X

[Barbara17]

Hello again. Just to let you know I had a phone call from GP this morning and I have my vaccine appointment tomorrow. I’m 69 and on the shielding list. I hope your parents have had some news by now.

[Froggie70 in reply to Barbara17]

Hello, that’s good news, so glad you got a call. Sorry to say still nothing for my Dad or Aunt. Spoke to MSP constituency office and apparently our health board are running behind. Funny it only seems to be with those shielding. You take care and hope everything goes well tomorrow. X