# Covid Vaccine - Potential Delay for Diabetics



## DunkyHory (Jan 18, 2021)

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.


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## Robin (Jan 18, 2021)

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The Gov.u.k. advice to that effect hasn’t been withdrawn.




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






					www.gov.uk


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## Bruce Stephens (Jan 18, 2021)

DunkyHory said:


> 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?)


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## nonethewiser (Jan 18, 2021)

DunkyHory said:


> 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.


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## Bruce Stephens (Jan 18, 2021)

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.)


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## grainger (Jan 18, 2021)

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.


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## Sally71 (Jan 18, 2021)

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.


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## trophywench (Jan 18, 2021)

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.


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## Robin (Jan 18, 2021)

Sally71 said:


> 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 said:


> 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.


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## grovesy (Jan 18, 2021)

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!


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## trophywench (Jan 18, 2021)

Office staff don't usually work over weekends though.


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## Pumper_Sue (Jan 19, 2021)

trophywench said:


> 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.


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## trophywench (Jan 19, 2021)

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.


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## grovesy (Jan 19, 2021)

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


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## Inka (Jan 19, 2021)

Anitram said:


> 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.


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## Bloden (Jan 20, 2021)

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!


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## Bruce Stephens (Jan 20, 2021)

Bloden said:


> 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.


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## grovesy (Jan 20, 2021)

Bloden said:


> 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!


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## grovesy (Jan 20, 2021)

Bruce Stephens said:


> 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.


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## Bloden (Jan 20, 2021)

grovesy said:


> 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?


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## grovesy (Jan 20, 2021)

Bloden said:


> 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?


I asked if she was housebound, as that ahs been a hold up with some people. East of England and London.


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## grovesy (Jan 20, 2021)

Anitram said:


> One report said that the allocation of doses to each area has been based on how many people have had the flu vaccine. Don't know how much truth there is in that but I'm assuming they must be using some sort of data from somewhere to calculate how many doses to send where.


I doubt it is anything to do with Flu Vaccine, as there have been reports of people being vaccinated at hubs and then been called by GP's as they don't know who has been vaccinated at the hubs. I knew it was happening a couple of weeks ago as a local surgery had a message on its website, apologizing if they were contacting people who had already been vaccinated at the Hub.


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## helli (Jan 20, 2021)

Given diabetes is the only thing that will push me up the priority order, I don't expect to hear about my jab appointment for a couple of months, at least. 
Thankfully, both my parents (aged 80 and 78, living independently at home ... not _in_ a home) have been vaccinated at their local hub. It gives me great relief to know that they are that bit safer and, when we are allowed to travel again, I feel happier visiting them as the risk to them will be lower.


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## DunkyHory (Jan 21, 2021)

The Deputy Chair of the Vaccines Committee was interviewed on ITV this morning and confirmed that it was being kept under review to change the priory list so that workers such as police, teachers etc could be prioritised ahead of current priority groups particularly if its shown that the vaccine reduces transmission.

I think this will largely be a political decision rather than based on science. The teaching unions and police federation are putting huge pressure on the Government to do this. I’m biased because I’m a type 1 diabetic who is keen to be vaccinated but it can’t be right that healthy police and teachers in their 20s, 30s and 40s who have an extremely low risk of serious illness should be prioritised over groups that are around 3 times more likely to experience issues. Hopefully, the groups that represent diabetics and other vulnerable illnesses are lobbying the government in a similar way to the police and teaching unions.


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## Robin (Jan 21, 2021)

DunkyHory said:


> I think this will largely be a political decision rather than based on science. The teaching unions and police federation are putting huge pressure on the Government to do this


I tend to agree with you, particularly as Boris was quoted as saying it would be a 'decision based on the science', which normally means he’s about to ignore it.


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## Inka (Jan 21, 2021)

*I’m biased because I’m a type 1 diabetic who is keen to be vaccinated but it can’t be right that healthy police and teachers in their 20s, 30s and 40s who have an extremely low risk of serious illness should be prioritised over groups that are around 3 times more likely to experience issues. Hopefully, the groups that represent diabetics and other vulnerable illnesses are lobbying the government in a similar way to the police and teaching unions.*

I don’t think you’re biased. I feel the same. It’s ridiculous to prioritise teachers and vaccinate them first yet have classrooms full of students potentially spreading the virus round so they can take it home to clinically vulnerable parents. Great - the perfectly healthy 25 year old teacher won’t be affected because they’ve had the vaccine but vulnerable parents will. I don’t think many parents or students will be impressed. Not only that, it won’t protect education as the teaching unions are saying because any Covid case among the students will still lead to the whole bubble having to self-isolate.

Are Diabetes UK advocating for us @everydayupsanddowns ?


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## everydayupsanddowns (Jan 21, 2021)

Inka said:


> Are Diabetes UK advocating for us @everydayupsanddowns ?



Yes very much so!

Thursday last week Diabetes UK called on the government to protect those with diabetes most at risk from Coronavirus by putting them into the ‘shielding’ group (which I believe would additionally prioritise them for vaccination)









						People with diabetes at highest risk from coronavirus to be protected
					

We’ve looked at all the available evidence in order to make this call. Coronavirus cases in the UK are currently extremely high and are rising quickly. And the increased transmissibility (how easy it is to pass from person to person) of the new strain of the virus, is putting our NHS under...




					www.diabetes.org.uk


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## Inka (Jan 21, 2021)

That’s great news.  I hope they stand up for us all against the teaching unions too. I’m very grateful for Diabetes UK’s work.


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## Pine Marten (Jan 21, 2021)

We are in north London and are having our jabs this afternoon (we are nearly 71 and 72). Our GP surgery texted with the offer to go to another local primary care centre. Like many other things it does appear to be the luck of the postcode.


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## DunkyHory (Jan 21, 2021)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Yes very much so!
> 
> Thursday last week Diabetes UK called on the government to protect those with diabetes most at risk from Coronavirus by putting them into the ‘shielding’ group (which I believe would additionally prioritise them for vaccination)
> 
> ...



That's great work to help the more vulnerable section of diabetics who are most at risk and this is very important.

However, the general point remains that pressure from teaching unions etc could result in other diabetics who are correctly in group 6 having our vaccines significantly delayed by priority being given to huge 'healthy' groups of teachers, police etc. Is there anything being done to lobby for group 6 people such as the average diabetic to remain at the current priority and not be leapfrogged in the queue due to pressure from unions?

I don't want it to appear that I'm moaning and I'm grateful for all the good work that's done.


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## grovesy (Jan 21, 2021)

DunkyHory said:


> The Deputy Chair of the Vaccines Committee was interviewed on ITV this morning and confirmed that it was being kept under review to change the priory list so that workers such as police, teachers etc could be prioritised ahead of current priority groups particularly if its shown that the vaccine reduces transmission.
> 
> I think this will largely be a political decision rather than based on science. The teaching unions and police federation are putting huge pressure on the Government to do this. I’m biased because I’m a type 1 diabetic who is keen to be vaccinated but it can’t be right that healthy police and teachers in their 20s, 30s and 40s who have an extremely low risk of serious illness should be prioritised over groups that are around 3 times more likely to experience issues. Hopefully, the groups that represent diabetics and other vulnerable illnesses are lobbying the government in a similar way to the police and teaching unions.


I watched the Commons Eduction Committee earlier in the week and Dr. Jenny Haries said at this stage they are not sure that vaccination stops the transmission, they were trying to push vaccinate teachers we can open schools. She kept reiterating the evidence for this was not certain yet! 
I saw an interesting interview with Kelly Ann Conway(ex Trump employee), she admitted that they took false reassurance from daily testing at the White House!


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