Explaining the vaccination priority groups
Dr Andy, our in-house GP, explains the priority groups for vaccination and what this means for people with asthma.
We know there has been some confusion about when people with asthma will get their COVID vaccine. We have been urging the government for clarity and we have now been given further information.
The vaccination programme
It’s important when rolling out a vaccine programme the right people get the vaccine first. The order in which people are being offered the vaccine is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The main purpose of this first phase of vaccination is to prevent mortality – to protect the people who are most at risk of dying if they were to catch coronavirus. By making sure these people get the vaccine first, the government’s aim is to save lives and reduce the effects of the virus on the NHS.
In this first phase of vaccination, there are 9 priority groups. It’s estimated that taken together, these 9 priority groups represent around 99% of preventable deaths from COVID-19.
Now we have more data about who is most at risk from COVID-19, we know age is the most important thing affecting the chance of dying with COVID-19. So, age is the main driver of who is being vaccinated first. This is why the very first priority groups (priority groups 1-3) have been those living in care homes and people over 75.
Healthcare and care home workers are also prioritised, as well as people who live with long-term health conditions that put them at greater risk, no matter their age. People who are clinically extremely vulnerable are in priority group 4, along with everyone aged between 70 and 74. Priority group 6 includes adults who live with long-term health conditions that put them at greater risk, but who aren’t clinically extremely vulnerable.
Asthma and the COVID-19 vaccine
Coronavirus is a different virus to the flu, and it affects people in different ways. As well as age, obesity and certain medical conditions all play their part when assessing a person’s risk of becoming seriously ill from coronavirus.
If you received a letter asking you to shield during the current wave of the virus, it means you are defined as clinically extremely vulnerable and are in priority group 4. This group should include some people who live with severe asthma.
But what we now know is that for most people with well-controlled asthma that is not severe, the risk isn’t increased. Data is very reassuring (1) (2) that the risk of death for these people is no worse than if they didn’t have asthma. Because of this, not everyone with asthma will be in the first 9 priority groups. Your risk might be increased by other factors, such as age.
There will be some people with asthma who will be included in priority group 6. These are people who have had 3 prescriptions for oral steroids over a 3-month period, or people who have ever had an emergency admission with their asthma.(3) (4)
It’s important GPs can reliably identify the right patients to invite at the right time. GPs are being given instructions on how to search their records to find the people who fall into this category. Doing these searches will take time to make sure GPs invite the right people at the right time. Because the numbers in each priority group are getting bigger, it could take a while to get everyone in these groups invited and vaccinated. Please wait to be contacted by your GP surgery or get a letter from the National Booking System.
All adults, including people with asthma, will be offered the vaccine in due course. As it stands, the government has promised that the entire UK adult population will be offered their first dose of the vaccine by the end of July. This will be dependent on various factors, such as NHS capacity, and we will keep our supporters updated as soon as we learn more.
We know having the vaccine reduces a person’s risk of severe illness from COVID-19. But what we don’t know yet is whether the vaccines help prevent the spread of the virus. Because of this, it’s important to stress that even with both doses of the vaccine, everyone still needs to follow the government guidance for their area. “Hands, Face, Space” and not mixing outside your bubble will be here for a while yet.
We know everyone wants to be vaccinated as soon as possible, as it offers us a stepping stone to resume our lives and getting back to some normality. But it’s important that those who need the vaccine most, get the vaccine first.
Update on 24 February – the Prime Minister has announced that all UK adults should be offered their first vaccine dose by the end of July.
(1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32640463/
(2) https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3731
(3) PHE Green Book Chapter 14a (Table 3)
(4) Wording from DCMO
For up-to-date information on the coronavirus vaccine, take a look at the British Lung Foundation’s vaccine FAQ page on their website.
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