Vaccination for unpaid home care workers

smallzoo2

Hi
I totally understand most of the priority groups the government has setup for the vaccine. My mum is 98 and is one of them. Due to delays she's is only getting her first vaccine this Saturday but at least she has come through this so far.
Along with my own job I have always looked after my relatives for over 30 years unpaid of course like a million others.
My disappointment is that the government has dismissed me along with many others as not being a priority at all. All of my kids work in the health profession of sorts and all have caught covid before being vaccinated. My wife who is also a nurse has managed to get vaccinated.
This leaves just me. I am 62 and considered in good health so I am way down the list. This means that any of my family could bring the virus home with them
This makes me quite anxious not only for myself but mainly for the many others out there who look after people and are not considered a priority.
Any comments are welcome but along with the million others I guess we have just got to try our best to stay positive and safe for at least a few months
Thanks for listening

Jeremy535897

With a massive logistical exercise like this, they cannot finesse the system in this way without introducing significant delays. Your penultimate sentence is how I see it too.

Thrugelmir

Immediate objective is to lower the pressure on the NHS. Reduce the number of hospitalisations. Vaccination does not guarantee you protection against catching Covid. That needs to be borne in mind when looking at the way priority is being determined. 

Morrigan_2020

People could claim they needed to be higher priority based on things like just doing a bit of shopping, cooking or DIY for elderly parents, I agree that those who provide essential, regular personal care, but others will definitely try it on.

Browntoa

The way things are looking , at aged 62 you should get vaccinated by mid to late February.

You are not a registered carer I'm afraid 

Grumpy_chap

smallzoo2 said:

My mum is 98

I have always looked after my relatives for over 30 years unpaid of course like a million others.

The priority list has been set out and it is not perfect.
Taken in isolation, your case sounds entirely logical and the same as vaccines for care home workers.  I do think, though, if "unpaid carer" was an eligibility criteria then something very close to everybody would be able to put their hand up to be top of the priority queue, at which point everybody is equal first and the secondary criteria would have to be applied.  I can only assume those secondary criteria would be really very much the same as the current priority list.  The nett change would be zero.

There have been daily reports in the media of some group or other thinking they should be higher up the priority list.  It won't be long before Renaissance Art Historians use this as the opportunity get their moment of fame on BBC Breakfast.

smallzoo2

Thrugelmir said:

Immediate objective is to lower the pressure on the NHS. Reduce the number of hospitalisations. Vaccination does not guarantee you protection against catching Covid. That needs to be borne in mind when looking at the way priority is being determined. 

Thanks to all but I dont think you should be saying things like that. It will frighten people just when they feel life is becoming safer. No-one is gaurenteed protection from many diseases but at least the vaccine give people a chance to live their normal lives.

poppy12345

smallzoo2 said:

Thrugelmir said:

Immediate objective is to lower the pressure on the NHS. Reduce the number of hospitalisations. Vaccination does not guarantee you protection against catching Covid. That needs to be borne in mind when looking at the way priority is being determined. 

Thanks to all but I dont think you should be saying things like that. It will frighten people just when they feel life is becoming safer. No-one is gaurenteed protection from many diseases but at least the vaccine give people a chance to live their normal lives.

Why not? It's true, the vaccine doesn't mean a person can't still catch Covid.

Barny1979

smallzoo2 said:

Thrugelmir said:

Immediate objective is to lower the pressure on the NHS. Reduce the number of hospitalisations. Vaccination does not guarantee you protection against catching Covid. That needs to be borne in mind when looking at the way priority is being determined. 

Thanks to all but I dont think you should be saying things like that. It will frighten people just when they feel life is becoming safer. No-one is gaurenteed protection from many diseases but at least the vaccine give people a chance to live their normal lives.

Completely in their rights to say that, they are being honest, not scaremongering, just being realistic.

smallzoo2

You must be lucky and be very strong people which is great for you but their are tens of thousands out there with mental health issues that need support and positivity. If instead of asking people to get the flu vaccine you told them it won't actually fully protect them how many more would die of flu.

Of course you have the right to say what you want its just I dont believe it is sensitive at this time especially with  the number of people on this forum searching for help not negativity

Well thats opinion and of course I have the right to say that too

JamoLew

To be fair - better to tell the truth than allow people to believe that 1 shot - BOOM off you go into the wild to do as you please.

This is NO time for sensitivity - people need to realise the seriousness of the precipice that we stand on

Enough already doing that without actively encouraging it with mis-information,cuddling and hugging

@Thrugelmir is absolutley 100% correct