We are calling on the Government to protect people with blood cancer from the coronavirus by prioritising the vaccine for adults who live with them.
Read more about this campaign here - Vaccinate Household Members - keep people with blood cancer safe.
Tell your MP to protect people with blood cancer from Covid-19 by prioritising the vaccine for adults who live with them.
Email your MP
Thanks Alice, Blood Cancer UK for campaigning for government to prioritise people living with someone who has blood cancer for the vaccine. It makes so much sense because I am shielding so my husband that goes out for essentials is my weak point.
Thanks for the email contact to customise for my MP and it will also tell me who my MP is.
@Alice_BloodCancerUK
Email to local MP duly sent.
I thought family/household members of vulnerable people always got the yearly flu vaccine.
Surely if that’s the NHS’s rule of thumb, why is the COVID vaccine any different?
Surely they must use the same risk assessment criteria?
I’ve written to my MP. All I got back was a standard letter listing the order for vaccinations and saying how well they were doing. No mention of prioritising us, whether he thought we should or not. Felt like a pro forma sent by his secretary and he hadn’t even seen my letter. VERY unimpressed with him
Everyone, it is so easy to email your government contact using the link above, I have done it.
I have blood cancer but haven’t had the vaccine yet. My husband is a fit 76 year old and had his yesterday. Why are the extremely vulnerable in the last group of the first phase to be vaccinated?
Hi @ilivesunshine, I think it depends on your area and perhaps even the luck of the draw, I am having my vaccine tomorrow and my husband who is 73 yrs old has not had his yet. I hope you do not have to wait long, let us know.
Should we be lobbying the vaccine committee as well as our MPs (especially as our MP was useless in his response. They recommend the priority lisitings
Hi @Tubbing thanks so much for flagging this. Blood Cancer UK has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi to make the case for taking the same approach to household members of people with blood cancer, and calling for them to be added to the priority list.
I have polycythaemia and was in the list of vulnerable patients. I had my first jab last Thursday. My second is booked for the beginning of April.
Hi @nicola.mobbs a great big welcome to our forum.
Great news that you have received your first jab, I had mine last Friday, but I was not able to book a second one at this time.
We are supporting each other on this forum and if you would like to talk to someone you can contact our Support Services Team on 0808 2080 888 (10am-7pm Monday-Friday, and 10am-1pm Saturday and Sunday) or via email at support@bloodcancer.org.uk.
I look forward to hearing more from you.
A lot of blood cancer patients might have children living with them and they can’t have the vaccine.
I know of a lot of people who have caught it from children
Hi @Sandra, a good point and I have read a lot about parents, guardians, families and schools with this dilemma.
If you don’t mind me asking how are you and what is your situation?
This is brilliant!! Thank you so much. I’ve sent the email to my MP. What a great template for us all.
Firefly x
Good evening everyone, I hope you are all doing ok??
I recently emailed to my local MP via the Blood Cancer UK website. I received a response within a few days. A very detailed letter, part of it explaining the below:
“ I understand that JCVI has given consideration to vaccination of household contacts of those who are immunocompromised, including blood cancer patients. However, at this time there is no data on the size of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on transmission. Evidence is of course expected to accrue as the rollout of the vaccine continues, however I am told that until that time the committee is not in a position to advise vaccination solely on the basis of indirect protection. Once sufficient evidence becomes available, I am assured that the committee will consider options for a cocooning strategy for immunocompromised people, like those with blood cancer. I will of course make representations to my ministerial colleagues on the points you have raised with me. “
I’m guessing it’s a case of watch this space!!!
Sara x
I’ve seen that some couples are being vaccinated together. It would be nice if the opportunity wasn’t down to pot luck. My husband is getting his vaccination late in the day on Saturday and I’m going along on the off-chance they might have a spare one for me. I have no wish to queue jump but they might be glad of an extra arm.
Thanks as ever for your support. I signed the petition a few days ago and got a generic response from my MP.
Hi @sajdee, thanks for copying the response from your MP and I am glad you got such a detailed reply.
Yes, as you say watch this space !!
In the meantime take care and stay safe.
Yes, @Jill1 I have heard the same as you.
I would be interested to know how you both get on when you go on Saturday.
It might be worth taking your medication details, NI number and NHS number just in case.
Take care and stay safe both of you.
I’ll let you know how it goes, Erica. Mainly I’m excited about him getting his. Hopefully it will make hospital appointments a lot less stressful knowing he has a little bit of protection.