Covid Vaccine - Potential Delay for Diabetics

[DunkyHory]

Its seems news stories are emerging that the priority list for the vaccine after group 4 is to be reconsidered by mid-February. I think the suggestion is that public sector workers such as police and teachers will be given priority over groups 5 and 6 which most diabetics fall into.

It seems to me that this is largely down to pressure from teaching and police unions rather than science. This is particularly the case for teachers where evidence suggests they are at no greater risk than the general population. We all know that evidence shows diabetics are at greater risk so common sense says that being the 6th priority group should remain unchanged.

Is anyone aware of this story and are any parts of our community doing anything to apply pressure so we stay at group 6? I don't want to sound selfish but I've been taking extra precautions for a long time now and the thought of having the vaccine delayed is not a good one.

 

[Robin]

Do you have any links? A quick google seemed to be suggesting that the higher priority groups would still be done, down to the over 50s and people with serious health conditions, but they’d got to make a decision about who to do next by mid Feb. Because the over 70s have got the target to be done by Mid Feb, I’m wondering whether confusion has crept in, it doesn’t mean that teachers, police etc will start being vaccinated from mid Feb, only that the decision when to do them has got to be made by then.
The Gov.u.k. advice to that effect hasn’t been withdrawn.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation: advice on priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination, 30 December 2020

www.gov.uk

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Its seems news stories are emerging that the priority list for the vaccine after group 4 is to be reconsidered by mid-February. I think the suggestion is that public sector workers such as police and teachers will be given priority over groups 5 and 6 which most diabetics fall into.

My impression was slightly different: that they're keeping the 9 categories (down to people over 50) based on vulnerability.

But after that they're considering prioritising people such as teachers, supermarket workers, etc., based a bit more on who we don't want to get sick.

(My hunch is that over summer cases will fall enough that nobody'll care so much as long as everyone gets offered a vaccination before autumn, but who knows?)

 

[nonethewiser]

I think the suggestion is that public sector workers such as police and teachers will be given priority over groups 5 and 6 which most diabetics fall into.

All good with that, after all they come into contact more than some groups, not forgetting many in public sector have diabetes so happy to step aside.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I think there's also some confusion because of the "Phase 1" term: sometimes it's used for groups 1-9 and sometimes for 1-4. (I've heard some say "Phase 1 of phase 1" for 1-4, which would help if everyone used it consistently. So doesn't.)

 

[grainger]

I think some confusion has come from Boris saying that there’s much discussion about what’ll happen after the identified 1-4 groups have been vaccinated.

So now there’s no guaranteed structure - but then again personally I don’t believe anything is guaranteed with this government anyway.

im hoping 5th and 6th will go as planned but I guess we just wait and see. I’m more nervous about school decisions than anything else.

 

[Sally71]

I think it’s all a bit of a postcode lottery anyway. Much trumpeting in the papers today that they are going to start vaccinating over 70s. My dad is 77 and had his first dose a couple of weeks ago, whereas my father-in-law who is over 80 hasn’t had his yet.

 

[trophywench]

Well we're both 70 and 73, both been put in the clinically extremely vulnerable category, and we've heard nowt. Will tell you whenever we do.

 

[Robin]

I think it’s all a bit of a postcode lottery anyway. Much trumpeting in the papers today that they are going to start vaccinating over 70s. My dad is 77 and had his first dose a couple of weeks ago, whereas my father-in-law who is over 80 hasn’t had his yet.

Well we're both 70 and 73, both been put in the clinically extremely vulnerable category, and we've heard nowt. Will tell you whenever we do.

Our surgery did all the over 85s on Saturday, will be doing the over 80s tomorrow, and will make a start on the over 75s on Friday. Beyond that, they haven’t been given any more dates. Everyone at the moment is having to travel to another surgery, 12 miles away, (because they have the facilities to cope with the Pfizer vaccine) on country roads, so this has involved a huge amount of organising lifts for nervous or non-drivers. But, it’s been well organised, and a tremendous effort has been put into getting it off the ground.

 

[grovesy]

My surgery have still not heard yet according to their web page, but a on on the site is too a site for where vaccines are available in the county. Yesterday morning despite seeing 2 tweets about vaccination hubs at 2 different surgeries and BBC new were reporting on large vaccination center opening today, this information was not on there, though it did appear a couple of hours later. I would have thought the site would have been updated, more regularly!

 

[trophywench]

Office staff don't usually work over weekends though.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Well we're both 70 and 73, both been put in the clinically extremely vulnerable category, and we've heard nowt. Will tell you whenever we do.

My GP practice can not do the care homes or the rest of the over 80's because they have no vaccines, so I doubt very much anyone else will be considered for a month or two. Mind you peeps over the border in Devon have been offered the chance for a vaccine in Taunton Somerset! Which is at least a two hour drive from here. Not sure how many over 80's are up to driving for about 4 hours and then going back again in 12 weeks time for the 2nd jab.

 

[trophywench]

Well this very morning we had to go past our GP surgery on the way to and from my retinopathy screening appt. Enough parked cars on the main road the first time at approx 09.25 but Gott in Himmel looked chaotic for 250 yds either way past there at 10.10. The actual car park remains closed as it has been ever since they first erected the marquee in it.

It certainly fully appears to be the 'local' primary care hub.

 

[grovesy]

There was a surgery on Sky News on Sunday, they were doing quite well, but not expecting any further vaccines for another 5 days.

 

[Inka]

I don't think anyone's suggested that the current timetable changes, only that from April there may be a case for sub-groups within the remaining cohorts that might warrant a higher priority.

That’s exactly how I read it. They’re doing the stated 9 categories and then moving on to the rest of the adults, and they might prioritise some people in that group according to profession eg police, transport workers, retail staff, teachers, etc.

 

[Bloden]

My mum’s still waiting for a jab invite. She’s 84 with an underlying condition. What IS going on in Wales?!😳 Dim byd! / B. all!

 

[Bruce Stephens]

What IS going on in Wales?!

There have been these reports that they're spacing out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccinations for weird reasons, but people have also said that those reports aren't true and they're using them as soon as they get them. I think it's probably just the same story as everywhere that the supplies are "lumpy", and inevitably some places are progressing faster than others because they happen to get a bit more supply.

 

[grovesy]

My mum’s still waiting for a jab invite. She’s 84 with an underlying condition. What IS going on in Wales?!😳 Dim byd! / B. all!

Is she housebound?
My area Essex is behind aswell!

 

[grovesy]

There have been these reports that they're spacing out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccinations for weird reasons, but people have also said that those reports aren't true and they're using them as soon as they get them. I think it's probably just the same story as everywhere that the supplies are "lumpy", and inevitably some places are progressing faster than others because they happen to get a bit more supply.

My surgery have just put a message on their website they can't vaccinate all their patients, only those registered housebound and care home residents. The rest of us have to wait to be contacted and be offered them by another local provider.

 

[Bloden]

Is she housebound?
My area Essex is behind aswell!

No, she’s extremely active, still drives, and terrifies me with her stories of the extreme gardening she gets up to (I live an hour and a half drive away from her).

Essex too?