Covid booster prednisolone dose criterion - NHS

[Bungalows]

Update to post below:

Thanks firstly to all who responded illustrating the inconsistency in Covid booster policy.

Anyhow, after being refused a booster by my GP practice, I received an NHS text asking me to come in for a booster as I “may” meet the criteria … again to be assessed when presenting myself. I was careful to choose an alternate (Boots) vaccination centre who, upon being told I was taking steroid for PMR, gave me the jab without further question. Ah well….

Original post:

After an Oct-22 PMR diagnosis and an initial 20mg prednisolone dose, I am now successfully (so far) tapering down to a current 8mg. I was still at 10mg til end March.

After reading on NHS web sites that the “immunosuppressed” criterion for the current (Spring) Covid booster jab is a daily dose of 10mg pred within the last 3 months I duly booked myself into the local jab centre for yesterday.

When I turned up however, the nurse on duty informed me the pred qualification criterion being applied was 25mg, which would rule out almost all PMR patients of course. My jab was refused.

Any others with a similar tale?

[Koalajane]

strange, I am on 6mg and got mine with the only questions being had I had a text/email form NHS and did I have anything on me with my HNS number

[SheffieldJane]

Well, well I’m booked to have one and I am on 5 mgs. I had a similar experience when I caught Covid. I was refused anti- virals because I was on less than 10 mgs of Pred. It doesn’t make much sense to me.

[Staffieblue]

I was invited by text for my spring covid due to low immunity .

showed my invite from NHS on my phone .

Had it yesterday ,at our local town hall with the same doc that did my last one I’m currently on 6 mg .

Hope you get this sorted .

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

This is uptodate copy of Green Book Ch 14a - Table 3 applies

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..and yes others under age of 75 have been turned away. Did you book online or over phone?

[Bungalows in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks DorsetLady.

I booked online, but "proof of entitlement" was to be delivered at the appointment.

The "Green Book" reference (Table 3) covers prednisolone in 2 ways as far as I can see (ref the "Immunosuppression" category;

i - systemic steroids at 20mg or more for greater than 1 month, or

ii - Those who require long term immunosuppressive treatment... (with no pred dosage criterion)

Where part ii leaves things a little unclear for me. Based on other responses it seems to be a bit of a lottery.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Bungalows]

Unclear - yes it is -and open to different interpretation from whomsoever maybe giving the vaccine … and yes a lottery!

Typical fudging…

[Alan7690]

it appears to be a lottery. I had mine on the 20th no problem, currently on 8mg but the pharmacist that give me it said as I was on long term Pred ( 6 years) I was eligible for it. I booked online after an email saying I could.

[piglette]

Like the others I was sent an invite.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I think it depends on the doctor and how they read the rubrics. But I am suspicious enough to wonder if the nurse was being a jobsworth ... Or confusing short term use of pred with a chronic history. I would ask to speak to a doctor about it if it were me.

When I enquired here in Italy about the Covid antivirals I was told it was 20mg where they got worried. However, the local vaccination clinic has always been happy to give me 6 monthly boosters with my long history of taking pred and we are always interviewed by a specially trained doctor here.

[Lynlea]

I am currently on 6mg and received invite for covid jab on nhs app .

[Temeraire]

Hmm. Very strange. I’m on 6.5mg (5 years down the line) and got txt & email from nhs to book. Had vaccine last week with no questions on my dose.

[Thelmarina]

I understood that one of the criteria was being old and frail and 75+. You are clearly a babe 😀. Frustrating though!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Thelmarina]

🤔 I may be 75+ but not “old and frail” thanks very much…Well not in my mind anyway 😊

[Pixix]

Yes, I only received one due to other medical conditions. The guy showed me on screen that PMR & steroids are not on the new list. He said the new criteria are narrower, & some things aren’t included now. I am under 75 so do not get it automatically. I think those receiving texts should be only those over 75…but I think some who have had all the boosters are just automatically receiving this jab. I think the main question is…do people on under 10mg of steroids need the jab, I was told no, they don’t. But that could be good news…means your medical condition doesn’t need the jab! But we had to go somewhere different, in a different county from the one we live in as the NHS stopped renting the facility near to us.