When will asthmatics get the Covid vaccine?

Those who suffer will soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

The UK vaccinated its first patient back in December and, since then, the vaccine rollout program has been a success, with millions having already received either their first or both doses.

The current plan is for the four top priority groups to receive the vaccine by mid-February, which could bring some hope that lockdown restrictions will start to be eased afterwards.

After this, all adults are expected to be offered a jab by September, with some hopes that most adults could get theirs even earlier, by the end of May.  

During this first phase of the vaccine rollout, the government are targeting groups they have deemed a priority, either because of their age, pre-existing health conditions or their profession.

Considering Covid can have a long-lasting impact on lungs, do asthmatics – an already compromised group – fall into these priority groups?

When will people with asthma get the Covid vaccine?

A list of nine high-priority groups the government are vaccinating first include:

• Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers.
• Everyone aged 80 and over, frontline health and social care workers.
• People aged 75 and over.
• Those aged 70 and over and the clinically extremely vulnerable.
• People aged 65 and over.
• People aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions.
• People aged 60 and over.
• People aged 55 and over.
• People aged 50 and over.

People who have severe asthma fall are included in the ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ group, also known as the shielding group.

Those people are in the fourth priority group for vaccination – with the aim for that group to be offered the vaccine before the end of February.

What is severe asthma?

According to Asthma UK those with severe asthma suffer a specific type of asthma which doesn’t improve with the usual medicines, like an inhaler.

This is considered more life-threatening and requires more aggressive preventative treatments in most cases.

The charity says around four out of 100 people with asthma have what can be considered severe asthma, which is approximately 200,000 people in the UK.

‘We don’t understand yet why some people get asthma and some people get severe asthma,’ says Dr Andy Whittamore, Asthma UK’s in-house GP.

‘We know that each individual with asthma can have different triggers and a different chemical reaction in their airways.’

What about non-severe asthmatics?

Asthma UK suggest those who have asthma that is not severe – so less life-threatening and more easily treated – are expected to fall into the ‘underlying health conditions’ group, the sixth priority group, along with 16 to 64-year olds.

People in this priority group are set to receive their vaccinations, between the end of February and April.

MORE : Expect a knock on your door from the council if you refuse to get the vaccine

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