I am 18 months in remission. Will I be offered the vaccine . As I was offered it last time but the pharmacy refused to do it as I was over 6 months from finishing treatment. Although I didn’t state I had blood cancer I just said I’d had chemotherapy
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Hi @Imalyn a great big welcome to our forum.
I attach a link to the NHS website
Getting a COVID-19 vaccine - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
We have * a weakened immune system, due to a medical treatment (such as steroid medicine, biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy), a condition (such as leukaemia), or from having an organ or bone marrow transplant.
Personally I have always booked a GP surgery or pharmacy appointment, but a lot of pharmacies are ‘walk in’.
So if you have problems be ’ pleasantly assertive’ and say that you have a weakened immune system as you have a blood cancer and perhaps take a NHS letter to show you have a blood cancer. I always take one but I have never had to show it
Please let us know how you get on and look after yourself
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Hello @Imalyn
Thank you for posting your question and a big Welcome to the Forum.
How and when you will be offered the autumn covid booster may depend on where you live. Some people are getting text messages, others get appointment letters.
Previously have you been to a Pharmacy, your GP or a walk-in centre?
Our website pages on getting a covid vaccine are very informative and should tell you everything you need to know: covidvaccine/2023autumn
Please do tell the pharmacy/nurses that you have had blood cancer and treatment - if you read the criteria on page 23 of The Green Book GreenBookCh14a - it states in eligibility criteria: ‘Anyone with a history of haematological malignancy, including leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma’.
Please do let us know if you have any difficulty with getting the vaccine.
Best wishes, Heidi.
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@Heidi_BloodCancerUK If you are in England, you may get a text or a letter from your GP or NHS but you do not need to wait for this. I think many people in England miss out or get it too late because they wait for an invite which may not come (due to poor admin in NHS systems sometimes).
Since Sep 18 you can also go onto the NHS website or NHS app or call 119 to see the appointments available in your area and book directly. (I’m aware that Wales, Scotland and N Ireland have different processes)
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