This thread aims to share our members thoughts, each struggling with the broad and significant impacts of the announcement to be made today by Boris Johnson in the HoC.
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"End of any freedom with covid has now been stolen for the vulnerable."
"The mental health of my children going to school will now spiral downwards uncontrollably."
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What will happen to our children?
"End of any freedom for our teenagers to live 'normal' lives."
"My child will be sat in class wondering if her peers will infect her, when she's at highest risk of death from Covid."
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"It is disgusting when Iโm told to check my child for nits, yet being CEV myself with a CV child in Primary Iโm not told of covid cases but the Govt thinks its ok to spread covid to kids repeatedly [.].Why is covid not mentioned on this school infectious disease control list?" 5/
Many have been forced out of unsafe schools already. @halfon4harlowMP 's so called "Ghost Children" offensive terminology given some may die.
"This means we may likely deregister children from school to protect a CEV family member. Schools arenโt safe. This is unfair."
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Don't forget the teachers!
Told not to wear masks. Surrounded by infected children.
"As a teacher with blood cancer I will risk my life every time I step in the classroom."
"As a dedicated Headteacher of a primary school I feel let down and marginalised."
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"My life now depends on other people doing the right thing- so terrifying. CEV teacher, Mum and wife."
It is not much to ask #Testing #MasksInSchool๐ท #HEPA๐จ
(which will pay for itself by reducing sick days)
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Forcing people to return to work F2F is meaning people who can contribute to society are choosing between 'lives & livelihoods'.
"My hubby will be forced back to the office, while I will probably have to isolate in a room to keep myself safe this is not freedom for all."
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"I have incurable cancer, kept stable by immunosuppressant drugs; I am well enough to work and play an active role in society but how can I once all the measures that help me protect myself against covid are gone?"
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"I didnt feel safe so resigned from Education. Now have to count the pennies to keep us afloat."
"It feels like all hope of rejoining society is gone now (age 47, immunosuppressed mum, worked and lived a typical, active life pre COVID)."
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Safe access to *not just schools* but anything including vital healthcare will be essentially denied.
"It will be totally impossible to safely receive: eye tests, dental treatment, medical care, vaccines & essential home repairs after โFreedom Dayโ."
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"Iโm left weighing up whether itโs more dangerous to miss my medical appointments and blood tests for my chronic condition, or to attend them?"
"No chance of a near normal life for me now, stay at home indefinitely just to stay alive."
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"This terrible decision makes everyone's life more dangerous. It will make my life and other CEV peoples lives smaller, more stressful and for some, unnecessarily, much shorter."
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"Well I'd better plan my own funeral as I will no longer be safe anywhere; CEV is not a choice."
"Sickness absence management policies will mean people with covid DO go to work and WILL pass it on to others, it is much more than a respiratory disease"
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Facing a constant and unending threat to life impacts on mental health for children and adults in affected households. People are dealing with the breakdown of relationships, self harm & suicidal thoughts.
"Samaritans on speed dial."
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We need 'reasonable adjustments' or mentally how do we square this circle?1
"As a immunosuppressed parent Iโm now facing the choice of curtailing my young daughterโs life indefinitely or continuously risking my own. These are avoidable choices noone should have to make."
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People don't know where to turn.
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If we go anywhere we must wear masks. This is about 'Social Responsibility' NOT 'Personal Responsibility'.
"I'm wearing my mask to protect *you*." #WearAMask๐ท
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"Whereโs the evidence to support this, is it so difficult to wear a mask in crowded indoor places, on public transport and stay at home if you have Covid?"
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"Maintaining simple measures against Covid 19 wonโt impact the majority but could literally mean the difference between life and death to millions of CEV people. Why donโt we matter enough? Protect the most vulnerable in society!"
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"What do the scientists say? I thought we were 'Following the Science'?"
"This terrible decision makes everyone's life more dangerous. It will make my life[.] shorter [and] more stressful [.]."
"This will make our family feel even more like collateral damage."
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Transplant patients carry a precious gift.
"This approach makes a mockery of Max and Keira's organ donation law that we fought so hard for. The second chance of life gifted to transplant recipients will be placed in jeopardy.
Callous, careless & cavalier!"
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Antivirals ๐ should be offered to ALL Clinically Vulnerable & elderly patients but only 50% can access these via the Panoramic Trial.
We see this as 'health rationing' since they are already proven.
Immunosuppressed who do qualify struggle to access.
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I'm clinically vulnerable at risk of death, why can't I have 100% assurance that I can get life saving antivirals if you insist on putting my life at risk by removing protective measures?"
So we must with engage with our world class scientists. We are 2 years into the pandemic (yes, it is a pandemic still - ask the @WHO) need a sustainable long term response.
Instead @BorisJohnson frames protections preventing infection & long term damage as "restrictions".
"Restrictions pose a heavy toll on our economy our society, our mental wellbeing & on the life chances of our children."
The Vulnerable have lost the most of all of the above.
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Bereaved Families @CovidJusticeUK have and lost loved ones. We fear that their group will continue to grow at a faster rate.
This simply isn't "Learning to Live with Covid" it is shortsighted and will undermine authority in any future effort to respond to new variants.
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So we ask for compassion, understanding and the support from the people of Britain.
Please stand with us against removing *protections* which have allowed vulnerable people a small taste of freedom these past months.
When the UK government rolled out the "Living with Covid" policy it simply scrapped protections and shifted to personal responsibility. For most, it meant "back to normal." For Clinically Vulnerable people, life became harder.
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The plan was based on a single assumption: that vaccines alone would be enough... vaccines due to be withdrawn this Autumn.
But for millions who are Clinically Vulnerable, vaccines werenโt a magic bullet. Protection wasnโt universal and some were left with little to none.
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๐Mask mandates ended
๐ฅFree tests were phased out
๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆSelf-isolation was no longer required
Covid was treated as a personal problem, not a public health issue. If you got sick, you were on your own.
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๐ CVF are relieved to announce that we will be representing you in the final section of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry looking at the ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐.
It will consider the effects on keyworkers, vulnerable populations, bereaved, & mental health.
1/12 *Stick with this*
Protective measures were often described as "restrictions" and the lifting of measures described as the return of "freedom".
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๐ Seatbelts were once seen as a "restriction" by some, but today with evidence & awareness, they are now considered essential for safety.
๐จ๐ท The Covid pandemic was a missed opportunity to normalise airborne protections that protect health and save lives.
"Would you support the development of a more diverse portfolio of vaccine formats and antivirals, both as part of future pandemic preparedness plans and during [.] 'peace time' to ensure that Clinically Vulnerable groups are adequately protected?"
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"Absolutely, I think it is really important to make sure that we have good therapeutics and vaccines for the whole population."
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Q - Why is it important to have that breadth of formats?
...not many [immunosuppressed] were involved in the initial trials.
We now know [.] that booster doses help in terms of vaccine efficacy.
Find out more about what led to his reaction below โฌ๏ธ
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Do you agree that mRNA COVID-19 vaccine protection has been shown to wane after 5-6m?
WSL: Yes
Covid-19 has not transitioned into a seasonal virus like influenza?
WSL: Yes
If so, why did the JCVI not recommend more frequent vaccinations for all clinically vulnerable groups?
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To explain:
"Clinically Vulnerable" is defined by the JCVI in the vaccine Green Book. They are all those who qualify for annual autumn vaccines based on risk.
A small subset are also offered vaccines in spring. Those 75+, care home residents and severely immunosuppressed. 3/
๐จDame Kate Bingham๐จ
Dubbed the "hero in a pink jacket ๐"
On Evusheld:
"I felt very strongly [.]. We were following a very clear 2 tier strategy where the CV immunocompromised were being deprioritised [.] I felt that was *manifestly* wrong both ethically and morally [.]"
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The above video was taken out of sequence. The below should give more context...
KB "So actually, the first goal was around protecting the UK population."
CTI [Hugo Keith KC]
"Do you think you succeeded on securing or making available those monoclonal antibodies?"
KB "No!" 2/
Kate goes on to make the argument that by not protecting this population, we were also promoting viral mutation and the evolution of variants.