About 1.4 million Britons had their third Covid jabs last week – most of them aged over 50 with no underlying conditions. This is what I will be referring to as I recount the harrowing story of Margaret Miller, a former Worcester primary school teacher.
Margaret has incurable blood cancer called leukaemia. This not only means she struggles to fight off infections, but also that her body hasn’t reacted as well to the Covid vaccine as most people’s do. To give her the best protection from the virus, which could easily cause her death, she needs three doses.
Rules introduced by the Government last month mean that she – and half a million Britons with similar conditions – are entitled to an extra jab, or ‘third primary dose’, eight weeks after their second jab, which Margaret had at the end of April. The booster, however, is routinely administered to all over-50s six-months after the second dose.
Margaret has not yet received her third jab. She wrote to her GP quoting official guidance stating that she was eligible, but was ignored. Three weeks later, she called her GP and was told to call 119 for vaccination support.
A call-handler at 119 said that, despite her diagnosis, she was ineligible for an extra jab. Another call to the GP was made. After she had waited on hold for 30 minutes, a locum doctor said he wasn’t sure about the jab, but would email her regular doctor who might know.
Margaret Keenan was the first person to get the coronavirus vaccine last December. She received her booster jab at University Hospital Coventry, Warwickshire on September 24.
Three days later, Margaret received a text from NHS England: ‘You have been identified as a patient who is immunocompromised and are eligible for a third primary dose of the Covid vaccine. Please contact your GP surgery to book in for it.’
She called the GP again mentioning the text – but was told her hospital consultant would be able to book her in. So she called the hospital, and a clinical nurse said he’d never heard of the third primary dose, and couldn’t book her in, but would call her GP personally and demand the clinic take care of it. Margaret told me last week: ‘He called me back and said, “I’m 23rd in the phone queue. Sorry, I give up.” ’
Two days later this text came through from her GP surgery: ‘Further to our earlier discussions, and having discussed with the doctors, you will be called for a booster dose no earlier than six months after your second jab. I hope this helps.’
Margaret’s response? ‘No it doesn’t help. It feels like no one is listening.’
Since The Mail on Sunday first highlighted the complete confusion over the third primary dose programme, we’ve been inundated with letters containing similar stories to Margaret’s.
According to new data from Blood Cancer UK, only a fifth (500,000) of those eligible for a third dose have received it due to logistical problems. Basically, GPs and other healthcare staff haven’t received enough clear information about the third primary dose from NHS England, so some are unaware such a thing even exists.
For some nonsensical reason, the NHS computer system does not recognise third primary doses, so GPs can’t book patients in for it. NHS England told us a fortnight back that the situation would be solved. Well, it hasn’t been. And it’s not good enough.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said last week: ‘We’ve got the jabs, we just need the arms to put them in.’ Well, as Margaret said: ‘I’m here, I want it, where is it?’
Mel Whiteley receives a Covid-19 booster shot at Croydon University Hospital in south London. This is as the NHS launches its Covid-19 Booster Vaccination Campaign.
I appreciate it’s a confusing situation. There’s the booster, and then the third primary dose. They are both the same physical vaccine but they are administered at different times to different groups. There are still people who have received the first and second doses.
But if Margaret, and I, and legions of our readers, can get their heads round it all, why can’t health chiefs and Ministers? Perhaps they think it’ll all just sort itself out?
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands remain in their homes, fearful that a trip into the shops could cause them to die.
Charities have, until now, advised ‘third primary dose’ patients to just book in for a booster dose, when offered. Although it may not have been recorded correctly, any additional dose is better that no dose. This is no longer an option. Insiders have told us the boosters will, from now on, include the Moderna vaccine – even if patients have had other brands for their first and second dose. Only a half dose is required for Moderna boosters. However, it is recommended that the dose be given to a third patient in order to have the best chance of the desired effect. Studies have shown this.
Last week 140 patients suffering from immune-related conditions, including blood cancer, received a half-dose of Moderna at a Midlothian vaccine centre in Scotland. The health bosses in charge said their mistake had posed ‘no risk’ to individuals.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured above) said last week: ‘We’ve got the jabs, we just need the arms to put them in.’ Well, as Margaret said: ‘I’m here, I want it, where is it?’
Experts I spoke with disagree. ‘It’s wrong to say it isn’t a risk,’ says Dr Penny Ward, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King’s College London. ‘Half a dose may well have provided a small boost, but this population need a full dose for the best chance of long-lasting protection.’
This is a terrible situation. The worst part? It was completely preventable.
‘I’ve been sitting in meetings with NHS officials since the summer, warning this would happen,’ says Gemma Peters, CEO of charity Blood Cancer UK. ‘They said, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of it.” ’
Since The MoS first highlighted the complete confusion over the third primary dose programme, we’ve been inundated with letters containing similar stories to Margaret’s, writes Eve Simmons (pictured)
I’ve spent the past two weeks chasing health officials for an indication as to how they plan to solve the problem. It was like hitting my head against a wall. NHS England stated that it was a matter for Department of Health and Social Care. The Department of Health and Social Care advised me to raise the matter with NHS England.
And the UK Health Security Agency (the name for Public Health England),? They might as well have said that they had nothing to do with us. NHS England asked me if I had ever thought of contacting Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. They have nothing to do with such things.
Eventually, I got this meaningless response from an NHS spokesman: ‘The NHS is vaccinating in line with JCVI guidance and has sent out hundreds of thousands of invitations to those who are immuno-suppressed to back up the conversations patients are having with their clinician so that they can get their lifesaving jab.’
Pathetic. Patients such as Margaret are often caught in a communication nightmare.
Blood Cancer UK and The Mail On Sunday have now come up with a solution. All UK vaccination hubs should accept a letter or text message from the NHS as proof of eligibility for a 3rd primary dose.
These could be issued either by GPs and hospital consultants. It is also important to inform vaccination centres about the Moderna dose difference for this group. Margaret has written a third letter, this time to her GP, in the hope that she will get some help. ‘I’m not asking for the Earth,’ she told me. ‘Just give me my goddam jab!’