News Flash

[jillydabrat]

Just had a news flash on the ipad that boosters for Covid will start with people who are immune suppressed in September. I can only hope this works and I am keeping everything crossed.

[JediReject]

Thanks Jill. I hope the boosters are enhanced in some way and not just more of the same but tweaked for Delta variant coz i cant see that working for us. I mightnt sound it but I remain optimistic that the scientific brain boxes will crack it. Chris x

[harleydavidson]

Thanks Jill. Do you know what percentage of us the vaccine has worked for? Xx

[JediReject in reply to harleydavidson]

Hello harleyd, , a recent letter in my local Gazette from CEO Antony Nolan quoted that as little as 13% of blood cancer peops had any antibodies after a single dose of Pfizer vaccine. Don't know what their sample size was or any detail. So its likely less than 50% after both vaccines as a best guestimate. Chris

[harleydavidson in reply to JediReject]

Thank you Chris x

[Aldebaran25 in reply to harleydavidson]

During the recent MPN patients forum in June, Dr. Tim Somervaille presented the results from a study carried out on 16 MPN patients to measure their antibody response after 2 weeks from the first dose of vaccine (Pfizer or AZ). 46-63% of MPN patients (ET 63%, PV 46%, MF 50%) had an antibody response compared to 97% of healthy individuals (13 of them). The two vaccines were equivalent. Treatment type had an effect, with the lowest responses seen in patients on ruxolitnib (no response, in 5 patients) and on HU (36% had an antibody response). On interferon, 88% had a response. All this will be published on BJ Haematology, author Dr Bethan Psaila. Please note that the number of patients is quite small, the effect was measure after one dose only, and T cell response (another important component of immunity) was not measured. The video of the MPN patients conference is on youtube youtube.com/watch?v=l2ZiViZ...(Not working as expected?), and you can find the section on vaccine response at 1:42:15

[jillydabrat in reply to Aldebaran25]

I keep getting told “antibodies don’t matter, it’s the TCell count that is important so why can’t they test immune suppressed people for the T Cells so we at least know if we have an ounce of a chance

[Aldebaran25 in reply to jillydabrat]

that is precisely what the study at Guy's hospital is doing. Hopefully the results will be available soon. Consider that testing T cell activity is much harder than measuring antibody levels.

[azaelea]

Thanks Jill. Sounds optimistic. Will wait and see what happens and how they will determine who gets it. We appreciate what you’ve done and are doing for us all. Xx Fran

[Paul_1971]

Its good news, the vaccine clearly works as despite infections rising deaths remain low.

[jillydabrat in reply to Paul_1971]

I know of two people, both had two vaccines, who passed away from Covid last week at our local hospital. Trouble is people are just assuming they will be okay because they have had their vaccinations. I don’t know if a booster or an all new vaccine is the answer for the immune suppressed, I just know I will be doing nothing different for the forseeable. My husband and I have nobody else but each other. Luckily we are happy in our own company.

[Cja1956 in reply to jillydabrat]

That’s awful. We were told that you can still get Covid if you have the vaccine, but it wouldn’t be as severe. So that is very disturbing news.

[JV4E in reply to jillydabrat]

Thank you for highlighting this. The link between infections and death may have been weakened , but it has not been broken. People who have have both vaccines are still getting seriously ill and in some cases dying. Yes, the numbers are smaller than they were, but these peopIe are still someone's Spouse, Partner, Mother, Father, Child . They are not expendable and they still matter . I think the media plays this down as it is not an good news story. Inevitably the growing numbers of infections right now will lead to more people going to hospital and sadly dying, the vaccine is helping of course, but it is not a silver bullet.

[MaggieSylvie in reply to jillydabrat]

It's good to get a booster (along with the flu vaccine) but I doubt it will make us much less vulnerable, so life is not going to change dramatically for us.

[Cja1956]

They haven’t mentioned that in the US yet. They said we’ll probably need a booster shot, But I haven’t heard anything definite. Hopefully, will hear something soon.

[moo196]

Group 1 over 70s and immunosuppressed. Group 2 over 50s.

[Wyebird]

That’s interesting. I’m now mildly immune suppressed. I wonder if my GP surgery will now consider me to be high risk as they haven’t so far. 🧐

[jillydabrat in reply to Wyebird]

Don’t take no. If you are at all immune suppressed then you need to push for your protection. I tell you, sometimes I could shake health professionals. I wonder if you said that if you don’t offer me the protection I need and something happens to me, my family will hold you personally responsible and will do everything they can to highlight your lack of care.

[Wyebird in reply to jillydabrat]

Thank you I have to phone them soon I’ll raise the matter then.

[MaggieSylvie in reply to Wyebird]

I don't think my surgery does either. My GP has known "loads of people with MDS/MPN ...." Yeah, right. My haematologist told me a couple of weeks ago that I was immuno-suppressed which was a surprise, as my bloods (except red and platelets) are always fine, and that's my GP's attitude as well. Well I'm not planning on going anywhere in crowds and I'm still getting most of my shopping online. I'm retired so I can please myself. Just beginning to get a bit bored.

[JediReject]

Along with announcing the booster i see the science bods are also warning of a rise in influenza this winter just to compound our woes. So we will get our flu jabs too. Happy Days !!

[jillydabrat in reply to JediReject]

I will have to get you knitting 🐭 to keep you occupied Chris 😂

[JediReject in reply to jillydabrat]

Haha well I'm a nitwit so maybe, but I rather think those knitting needles would very quickly become mini spears flying through the blue air as my wool became all tangled up 😠 x

[blu3yedblonde]

Pull your string back to the same amount you’re going with raw from the vial. Now inject that air into your vial, then withdraw your dose. Should not have an air bubble. That’s how I did it when I was a nurse.

[blu3yedblonde]

I would definitely do as much research as you can, before agreeing to my covid vaxx.

[Borage]

Just make sure that after the needle is inserted the nurse draws back on the plunger to check for blood. You do not want a Covid vaccination into a vein.If there is blood it is obvious and the needle is withdrawn and start again.