Covid Injection 10th October

Good Morning KJ911 

You don't qualify due to age however you do meet the other criteria - a weakened immune system, caused by the Radiotherapy treatment so yes you should be fine. 

Best wishes - Brian.

Have recently completed RT and still on hormone treatment and although under 75 the pharmacy where I was booked into confirmed that i was eligible because these treatments deem me as immune suppressed

I went for my 8th Covid jab this morning and was told that I didn't fit the NHS's new criteria!!!  They said I had to be 75 or over.  I might look it!!... but...

With my Radiotherapy being nearly 4 years ago, that doesn't apply to me.

I'm on so much medication for this and that! 

The pharmacist was saying there are loads of people booking in for Covid jabs, only to be told they don't fit in with the criteria. 

I hope  you get it. 

Hi KJ911 - not exactly the same situation as yourself. Once my husband was going through the RT he was told he was classed as clinically vulnerable and would be eligible for antivirals if he caught covid - which, of course, I caught and shared freely with him :(

He is now eligible by age to have the covid booster this winter but I am not! I did look up the Vaccinations Committee's (forgot the exact title)  rationale for removing people in the 65-74 age bracket from regular boosters. I was surprised to see the open admission that giving a booster does not prevent you from getting Covid. The rationale for excluding lots of people from this years booster round is that we all have now built up some immnuity which should protect most os us from the more serious side effects and only those with weakened immune systems need a booster this year. Even front line NHS staff are not being boosted again covid this winter! 

So, we are off on a cruise next week. Cruise ships , at the height of the pandemic, were described as a. 'petri dish of infection'. When my husband was booking his NHS flu and covid jabs and my flu jabs  at our local pharmacy he asked whether they would offer a private Covid jab for me. I gritted my teeth because I had read this would cost £100 approx. The pharmacy said it would be £53! Its £53 I would have rather have spent on a new dress or some nice perfume but I thought it was worth paying given our holiday arrangements. I had the jab - no side effects other than a slightly tender arm for a day or two.

I think the message is that if you want to pay privately you can find a pharmacy to do it but it might be worth shopping around.

Enjoy your cruise, you both deserve it!

Thank you , Steve. If you knew the absolutely awful 7-10 days that I have just endured you would understand my absolute longing to ‘get away from it all’ for a respite. The holiday can’t come quick enough! I hope you are doing ok?

Before deciding which treatment to go for I had a chat with the oncologist and he said that RT shouldn't have a long term impact on my immune system. Following RT in March I received an e-mail from NHS saying I qualified for a Spring Covid jab (which I had). Since then:

1. I received an email from the doctors surgery asking if I wanted a flu jab. When I booked it they said I wasn't eligible for a Covid jab.
2. I then received an email from NHS  saying I qualified for a Covid jab
3. Had a routine doctor's appointment and asked about the Covid jab. The doctor said that the NHS email was a generic thing that gets sent to anyone who has had treatment for cancer, but I didn't qualify.
4. Had the flu jab on Saturday and the nurse said that I don't qualify for Covid.
5. Was in a small pharmacy yesterday about 5 miles from home. On the counter were 3 A4 sized posters detailing eligibility criteria for Covid. One said you qualify if you've recently had Radio Therapy. 
6. Asked the lady behind the counter if she could clarify if I qualified, and she showed me to a small room and said the pharmacist will be with you shortly.
7.  Explained my situation and the pharmacist said I qualify, and she did me there and then.

I believe that the current criteria (over 75 or suppressed immune system) applies for all of the Winter period, and the next review will be prior to Spring jabs being offered.

Wow! What a mess! My husband qualifies by age alone. It will be 3 years next Feb since he finished HT. so I don’t know whether he would or would not have qualified had he been under 75 like me. As it’s a year since I had a booster I thought £53 not so very bad to ‘be safer’. 

I was waiting in our surgery just over a week ago for a blood test and there was a constant stream of people coming in to query why they could not book a Covid jab this year. The NHS comms about this have not been optimal! I saw on BBC news that people are getting quite angry when they tip up expecting both Covid and flu and can only get flu jabs. I don’t recall how I heard that 65-74 age group do not qualify but I had heard or read about it somewhere. 

i would not pay for one in the Spring. I’ve managed to stay alive this year without a spring booster

Thanks, I'm getting there, sort of.  In my counselling we have some things to work on in the next few sessions.

I know it's all in my head... but my head doesn't recognise that!  I'll get there.

Your post the other day really gave me a boost!

Are you going to get dressed up for the 'Captain's Table's this time?

Hi Steve, thank you! I’m really pleased to hear you are ‘getting there’. But…. I will be absolutely delighted when you have ‘got there’!!!

I don’t think we have done enough cruises nor are we staying in a posh enough cabin to be invited to dine with the captain! But I have to confess that I have been replenishing my wardrobe just a tad! 

Take care x