Why rethink is needed on vaccination groups

MY daughter, who is in her late 30s, has asthma and been diagnosed since she was 10 years old. It has got worse in the past six years and even more so in the past 15 months.

She also works 34 hours a week at a supermarket. We thought she would receive the vaccine in group six, for those with underlying health conditions, or that the government might have invited key workers to have theirs earlier than the rest of the population.

But it turns out my daughter’s asthma isn’t bad enough to warrant a place in group six, even though she’s on four different medications.

She is on daily steroids, which are taken via an inhaler, but the new guidance is for precedence to be given to those who take steroids in tablet form.

My daughter is suffering badly as the supermarket she works at is very cold and she struggles to sleep due to pain. We have no idea of when she will be vaccinated.

It’s making my daughter very upset. She has lost interest in everything and this isn’t her.

We are very angry that people who are in their early 50s, healthy and working from home or furloughed, are getting their vaccines before her.

Why have the government’s advisors removed those asthmatics who are not shielding from group six? They are not achieving anything positive from this. It only causes more deaths.

Why remove those with lung conditions when Covid attacks the lungs? My daughter and I have friends who either are asthmatic themselves or have someone in their household with asthma. Not one of them is happy with the decision.

My daughter is naturally terrified going into work, with some customers not wearing masks and claiming to be exempt. I seriously doubt that everyone is exempt, but that’s another story.

I just want the Government to reverse its decision by vaccinating all asthmatics, or giving GPs the power to move patients to a higher group.

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