Hello peeps. Hope you're all OK, all things considered. Quick question: I'm due for a fourth Covid jab middle of May but when my OT went the other day for his 4th he was told that you can only have it if you are on 20mg steroids or more. (He got his because he's just been diagnosed with cancer). I'm now wondering if they might turn me away if I shuffle up expecting a jab, as I'm now only on 6mg? I was also only on 15mg when I had the first two jabs. Anyone here been turned away ?
Thanks for any replies, in advance.
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I actually rang to ask for a letter and the Practice Manager was happy to sort it for me, there was no question of what was my current dose or what dose I was on at the time of my first injections. When I had my 4th jab I was on 9mg.
I was on 9-8mg at the time of my first two jabs so a standard 3rd jab although by then back to 10mg. Had reduced to 9mg again when I rang the helpline and got an appointment for a 4th jab. Was told to take meds or script with me. Questioned at vaccination centre who while suggesting I wasn’t quite on a high enough dose allowed me through. It didn’t seem to be an exact science. I should point out I did also tick a box for being a carer. Good luck.
What a worrying time you are going through. The fact that you care for a vulnerable person should be a factor. My Rheumatologist gave me a letter, I was well under 20 mgs. I was let through without question. It seems a bit arbitrary and the language used caused confusion, 4th vaccine versus booster, I think it was.
Thank you for your kind thoughts. He's feeling sorry for himself (which is to be expected) and he has been through a lot recently with his Uncle and cousin both dying in USA and his mother passing on her 93rd birthday last year. Then his sister being diagnosed with stage 4 and given, at best, 5 years. It's overwhelming for him. And then add to that my PMR, well you can imagine what he's going through.
I don't have a Rheumy and my GP is a short distant memory from when I was first diagnosed (haven't spoken to him since) May give the surgery a call and see what they say.
Interesting. Although boosters were slow to arrive in Canada for anyone except the extremely vulnerable, in the end all adults became eligible for first booster, and now they are rolling second booster out to an older age group (exact parameter varies from province to province). In Nova Scotia anyone over 70, plus others who might be in long term care, congregate living including prisons, or severely immune compromised (which includes people who've been taking pred at dose of at least 20 mg for at least two weeks). We all assume that shortly these boosters will become available to younger people. I'm booked for mid-May (being over 70, not for being on pred), but husband has just recovered from covid so has to wait. Perhaps by the time he's eligible there'll be an improved verson of vaccine?
Every province in Canada is making it's own rules. The federal agency responsible for immunology recommends over 80, plus the other vulnerable groups. One province says anyone over 50. Another (us) over 70! A bit of a mishmash if you ask me, but I'm not complaining. Waiting a bit longer than I might have so I could conveniently get Moderna as I'm triple-pfizered and seems like law of diminishing returns is kicking in.
I got a text message from my GP's surgery inviting me ''as a vulnerable patient'' to have a fourth jab. They obviously set aside an afternoon to jab as many of us as possible.
I think I was down to 3.5 mg at the time, so pretty low. It was a bit like a conveyor belt with a couple of medical students hired in to jab us, but it worked well.
I’m in Scotland and I got a letter from the health board for my ‘spring booster’ which is my fourth vaccine. I got it on Sunday in the local town hall. In the letter it says it was because I am immunosuppressed. I’m on 9mg of prednisolone.
How to get a booster dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
There are 3 types of booster for the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine:
A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is available for everyone aged 16 and over, and some children aged 12 to 15, who have had a 2nd dose of the vaccine at least 3 months ago.
A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is available for anyone who had a severely weakened immune system when they had their first 2 doses and who had an additional primary dose (3rd dose) of the vaccine at least 3 months ago.
A spring booster of the COVID-19 vaccine is available to people aged 75 and over, people who live in a care home for older people, or people aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system.
If you have not had a booster dose yet, you're still eligible and can book anytime
I was turned down because I was not on pred until after my first two jabs, so I'm not considered immune suppressed. And yet, I've had the NHS letter about anti-viral treatments!!?
Actually I think my immune system must be pretty OK, as OH has had covid for the last week (and has it still), but I haven't caught it off him (touch wood). Incidentally there is nothing in the current English guidelines about what to do if you're classed as vulnerable but your house-mates have covid. It just instructs the person with covid to keep away from vulnerable people! Maybe he should have a tent in the garden!
Don't know if you watched "My Yorkshire Farm" - with Amanda the shepherdess - but they actually stuck the eldest son in the shepherd's hut away from them all and delivered his food when he was the first to get it. Every single one of them still got it in the end - and not even all at the same sort of time so the last one started a couple of days before school, when everyone else was almost recovered!
Here in New Zealand I have had 3 primary doses and a booster. I tested positive for covid last week and my rheumatologist put me on antiviral medication because he said he could not be confident that the vaccinations might have been effective. I am on lefludomide, mycophenolate and 5mg prednisone. We isolate for 7 days here and mine finishes tomorrow and mostly I have been fine except for a very upset stomach.
Yes! I was told by GP that I was no longer vulnerable on 6mg, & didn’t get the jab…but because I don’t need it! But same GP has now put me up to 10mg because i have a lot of medical issues right now. This question has come many times recently (in same& slightly different formats). If you look at the Covid section of the forum, you will find many replies, & info. I recall somebody being invited for one on only 3mg & others not vulnerable on10mg & everything in between! Do look…many replies…sorry re your husband…mine has asthma & COPD, but is also older than I am, & has already had his. Good luck. My3rd jab was six months ago now, so I have no cover. But if you look you will find lots of info about the jab, too. Mrs Nails keeps the Covid section very up to date.
Not NO cover - potentially LESS cover in terms of measureable antibodies. But the memory effect on t and b cells is probably quite good. But that is difficult to measure.
I have to say - here I didn't really qualify under the guidelines for the 4th jab and it was almost 6 months since the 3rd. But I turned up to the vaccination clinic and said please nicely. I filled out the same form as every time and then spoke to a doctor (everyone does here) who agreed that my previous medical history made it sensible to have another jab. Comorbidities count as much as pred history - possibly even more.
Thanks for your concern. My husband also has COPD and asthma. He's younger than me by just over a year but there are times I feel younger than him. It seem to be a lottery whether you get a booster or not. My third jab was also 6 months ago so I guess my cover is not as good as it was. I will certainly have a look at the Covid section as you suggest.
Yes, just a lottery, it’s the only description, but it’s not fair. Tbh, though, my OH wasn’t designated as needing to shield through Covid, he followed because of me (I have other medical issues as well as PMR)! I think, now, it’s people taking certain drugs (steroids only in large large quantities), but mainly cancer sufferers undergoing treatment & those with blood cancer). It’s good news, really, as it should mean that all others who are catching Covid are now surviving, hence the clinically vulnerable categories are altered & are less. Fingers crossed for your husband, hugs, S x
Thanks Pixix, I appreciate your kind wishes. As a family we have shielded since the beginning, firstly because of him, and now also because of me. And now it's because of him again. Just taking one day at a time.
I booked online for my fourth jab and went along knowing that I might have to justify being there. Fortunately, the little paperwork I had (related to my being sufficiently immuno-suppressed to be offered anti-viral treatment if I got Covid) was enough to allow me through to the needle. My steroid card said that I was on 10mg pred. This was at Guildford. Incidentally, they were turning away anyone who hadn't booked as they were short-staffed. So, booking a slot is rule #1. ' Post-code lottery'?
Thanks for the good luck. I received two emails saying I was eligible for anti-viral treatment and I've printed the last one off. Not sure where to book on-line. Anyone able to point me in the right direction?
The official NHS policy is to regard as highly vulnerable anyone prescribed Prednisolone 20mg/day for more than 10 days in previous month or 10mg/day for more than 4 weeks in the previous 3 months.
Yes - the UK NHS policy is quite clear: a threshold of 20 or 10mg depending on how long you've been at or over the dose. The other main variation is that the threshold falls to 7.5mg if you are also taking Methotrexate.
I don't want to muddy the waters still further, but I have just had my 5th 'Spring' booster.Govt website says :
'This spring booster is being offered as a precaution to those at extremely high risk, most of whom received their first booster around 6 months ago. If the number of infections increases over the summer, this booster should help to reduce your risk of being admitted to hospital with COVID-19.'
Quite. Well, I've got to show off about something, haven't I? Generally speaking, I'm about as much use as a chocolate teapot. And I lost my job but hey!-a whole new career as a pincushion!
No, no you haven't upset me at all! Just my sense of humour. 😀😀(I wasn't really showing off!) I was disappointed but philosophical about the job - they couldn't keep it open for ever. And, as DL says, it takes pressure off, knowing that people are no longer having to stand in for you. But it does mean I am a kept woman again😦😞Going back to your vaccine, I am certain that back in January there was a page on Gov.uk, which I can't find any more, that said people who were on 20mg pred, DMARDs, such as MTX, and biologics were eligible for the 4th vaccine. so I hope you manage to get it.
Happy to hear I haven't offended you - I seem to have a knack of putting my foot in my mouth (which is also my sense of humour) and putting people's backs up. Being a kept woman is no bad thing. My OH gave up work and 57 and I kept going until I was 64.5. now we're both at home I sometimes wish I was back at work - but only for a minute or so 😉 I started my Pred journey at 15mg so that might be an issue. I'm going to try to book on-line as a few people on here have suggested. Wish me luck!
I do shifts as a steward at a vaccine centre. Our clinical lead is a pharmacist, and personally does the ‘booking in’ on line for everyone so he can make any necessary decisions. We are advising those under 75 who feel they need a 4th jab to bring along their labelled medication, or their latest prescription: or proof they are a career for a vulnerable person. He’s being pretty flexible.
I think the main problem is that there is no definitive guidance, and clinical leads are having to make judgements.
Certainly week by week when I’ve gone in over the past few months the guidance has continually changed on all aspects. ‘Pfizer only for X…’ turns into ‘Moderna ok…’ the next week, etc. Gaps between 1st and 2nd jabs etc…
It may be your OT would get a different answer elsewhere. Look online for walk in centres in your area, where you don’t need to book, and try a different one. Good luck!
ps: just read Whippet’s post (above). Not disputing that, sure it is correct, but it may be that not all the detail reaches the front line, and in reality can be flexible. Thinking back to the shielding lists (remember them?) I did all the calculators, checked all the guidance, and knew I definitely didn’t qualify, too low a dose of steroids. Still got the phone call and formal letters though…
Sounds like you were lucky getting the call and jab. It would make life so much easier if they could all agree on one thing and stick to it. Will wait and see if I get a call in the next week. And I will definitely take my prescription along for back-up!
Age 77 and on 2mg. NHS wrote to say I should have 4th jab. GP not doing them yet (I have written about my GP's previously) so I booked online and jab was done following week. Had a choice of venues and all went well and extremely efficiently.
Me - no longer on Pred, but just turned 75, and last booster in November last year... booked online this morning. at a date and venue that suited me....took about 5 minutes.
will report back if any issues when I get there there, but hopefully not, as it’s same venue as previous booster -and that was fine.
Wow, you really got that organised well. I'm just 70 and wondering if you have to be over 75 to hear from NHS. Can you point me in the right direction for the on-line booking, as I'm having a senior moment !
Coming up for cataract surgery obvious close contacts so all the protection I could get seemed reasonable but it said I needed letter from GP and GP said no: have to beover 75 and immunosuppressed. On 8.5 mg, immune markers normal and 66.
A lot of doctors, or at least their admin staff don't seem to understand that if you were immunocompromised for the first or second dose, it was 20mg/day for more than 10 days before 1st vaccination or 10mg/day for more than 4 weeks before the vaccination you then needed a third primary vaccination. You should then be getting a 4th vaccination no less than 3 months after. (JCVI 14a). I had to quote chapter and verse and a bit of nagging, to surgery but got there in the end and had 4th in February.
People in our situation shouldn't need to beg for the jab. After all, if we got really sick with Covid and had to take up a hospital bed for a while, they'd probably say, why didn't you have your 4th jab. Glad you got yours eventually.
Otherwise not, maybe she gets stick from on high if breaks that ruling? Came down with. PMR April 2020, not the best time for the NHS; and she's looked after me really well, letting me have the brains to manage own dosage, referring me back to hosp when I relapsed, reminding me to have 2m blood tests, can always be contacted by message from practice site.
I am down to two and a half mg so rang my doctor when I got the letter for a forth jab as I thought I may not need it but he advised me to go ahead. By the time I went for it I had misplaced my letter but I still got my jab
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How many MG starting Prednisone do you think I should have been started on? 
Prednisolone Advice. You could be stuck with me for a while!
I was able to have my fourth Covid vaccination....
