Call For People With Asthma To Receive Covid-19 Booster Vaccines

Call For People With Asthma To Receive Covid-19 Booster Vaccines.

Asthma UK have warned that thousands of people with asthma did not get their coronavirus vaccinations on time and have now called for them to receive a booster jab later this year in the autumn.

According to the charity Asthma UK, anyone who has asthma and is currently eligible for the annual free flu vaccinations should be added to the list for booster coronavirus vaccinations that are expected to be given.

The charity believes that nearly half the people who suffer from asthma did not get their coronavirus vaccination at the correct time. They estimate that nearly 300,000 people who are considered at risk of dying from the coronavirus were not vaccinated by late March as had been expected.

According to The Standard, “In February, the Government confirmed that people with asthma would be prioritised to receive their first Covid-19 vaccine if they had a shielding letter (priority group 4) or if they had ever been admitted to hospital for their asthma or ever taken three courses of oral steroid tablets during a three-month period (priority group 6).”

The charity now hope that the government’s free flu jab list could be used to make things simpler for people with asthma to get their potential coronavirus booster shot in the future.

Clinical lead at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation Dr Andy Whittamore, said that: “NHS services have worked around the clock to ensure that people who need help continue to get the care they need safely during this time of crisis.

“The Government has an opportunity to get the potential booster rollout right and must listen to the experiences of patients and those on the front line.

The practising GP also went on to comment that: “What is clear is that the current system is not working for GPs or people with asthma. GP surgeries do not want to be faced with the same difficulties again later this year when valuable lessons can be learned and acted on now.

“Keeping it simple is key. There is the chance now for the Government to learn the lessons from last time around and get a simple and effective system in place ready for any booster campaign so that no-one with asthma at higher risk from coronavirus misses out on getting the added protection they might need.”

Chief executive of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, Sarah Woolnough, said that: “It is completely unacceptable that around half of people with asthma who are at higher risk of becoming very ill or even dying from Covid-19 have failed to get their vaccine at the right time despite being eligible because of issues with GP systems and search criteria.

“Asthma leaves people struggling for breath, at risk of potentially fatal asthma attacks and causes over 75,000 hospitalisations every year.

“With a Covid-19 booster vaccine rollout looking likely, the Government must act.

“We think the best way to ensure that no-one is left behind is to look at vaccinating everyone with asthma who needs it and is on the free flu jab list.”

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