People with underlying health conditions in Sussex STILL unable to book Covid jabs
The ME Association says it's a postcode lottery as to whether GPs consider a condition as being 'at risk' from coronavirus.
Last updated 26th Apr 2021
We can exclusively reveal people with underlying health conditions across the UK are still not being classed as a priority when it comes to the Covid vaccine.
Last week, people aged 45 and over were invtied to get the jab after the government announced that all over-50s and those in high-risk groups have been offered their first dose.
But we've been hearing from people in the region who have underlying health conditions and still can't book an appointment.
Hannah from Brighton is among those who've been told they will have to wait to get a vaccine.
She's been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), chronic fatigue syndrome / ME and endometriosis, and has spent much of the last year isolating in her flat due to potential health risks:
"I've been fighting for my diagnosis for the last ten years and have recently found specialists that can help me. Unfortunately my NHS practice do not support my need for the vaccine even though RDS is a rare condition that has lots of comorbidities.
"My GP said to me that I would in fact be taking the life of an over-50s man if she were to put my on the vaccine list.
"Since then I've written to my MP, I've written to the local health authority and I've tried to call the vaccine helpline.
"No-one can help me, no-one can tell me what to do and I just feel forgotten - just like I feel a lot of disabled people do during this pandemic, because my life means less.
"I joked to my doctor that maybe it didn't matter if I got vaccinated because I rarely leave the house - I said that ironically and she agreed with me with total sincerity, so that just reminded me of how ableist our system really is."
Dr Charles Shepherd is the Medical Advisor for the M.E. Association, he told us it's a problem the charity has been dealing with up and down the country:
"We've been hearing from a lot of people who are trying to get into Group 6, which is this group of people who are being vaccinated once everyone over the age of 65 have been vaccinated.
"It's a special group of people who have medical conditions which primarily place them at increased risk of hospital admission and serious illness with covid.
"Now there's a second strand to this criteria and that allows doctors to use their clinical judgement in cases where people have a pre-existing medical condition which is likely to be worsened by Covid.
"ME/CFS is normally triggered by a viral infection and is made worse by viral infections and we know there is a lot of overlap between long covid and ME/CFS. We've also been collecting patient evidence since covid started of people with ME who have caught covid and they've suffered a significant relapse of their symptoms.
"It's pretty clear to us that people with ME should fall into this category and a lot of doctors are happy to accept that but it's very much a postcode lottery.
"We have doctors in all parts of the United Kingdom who are saying yes, we've got Clinical Commissing Groups who are saying yes and Primary Care Networks who are saying yes - and yet the neighbouring Health Board, the neighbouring Clinical Commissioning Groups, the neighbouring doctors practise is saying no.
"So it's a totally crazy situation people are finding themselves in. It's yet another battle just to get what they should be able to have."
In a letter to one of his constituents with ME, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, "I want to assure you that we are committed to vaccinating according to need, and you will not be left out or forgotten in this process," but many people are still left waiting.