3/x What's my take on the points? There are half a million immunocompromised people in the UK. Many are still shielding, still in isolation, still unable to work, see friends or hug loved ones. They are #forgotten500k, unheard and calling on us to notice.
4/x I have worked @DHSCgovuk. Like any organisation, they are extremely talented people & also those who are different. This article may have elements of truths, but you might you miss the strengths of a single public healthcare system's and DHSC's ability to lead to rapid change
5/x Once decisions are made by the right people, as shown by @katebingham2, the process goes fast. We were the first on vaccines. We were first to approve antibodies (Evusheld). We were first to identify the excess risk to #immunocompromised from poor vaccine responses.
6/x Unfortunately, on antibodies, we are not the first. This has led 17 charities, 125 clinicians from 17 medical specialities & 4 nations, patient groups and professional organisations to ask why we can't move fast to protect the vulnerable. Why UK patients are the last in line.
7/x No one is sure if DHSC had asked the "right people" about offering Winter protection or will consider a pilot to protect #immunocompromised patients with #evusheld this Winter. There is a debate tomorrow in Westminster whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal39847
8/x I will remain positive. If there is an attempt to reach out to the scientific leads and clinicians pandemic experts.... and if our new health secretary is keen to lead.... then there is a chance their Winter plan may be ressurected. 🫢🫣😐
9/x It is important to protect those who do not respond to vaccination, it is important not to leave anyone behind. #immunocompromised people are important. Let's hope our single public healthcare system and DHSC can move quickly once again before Christmas.🤞 **END**
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2/x For those who you don't know. @TheCrick is one of our UK's leading research 👩🔬💪heavy weights with some of the best scientists in the country like @stcshepherd@TurajlicLab@DavidLVBauer. For them to be weighing into the national pandemic landscape is timely & important
3/x. Paper 1⃣ asked the question about cancer patients. They are very #immunocompromised, especially @bloodcancer_uk patients. @stcshepherd@TurajlicLab assessed ~200 cancer patients from their study and looked at immune response to omicron. A study and measure of "protection".
1/x 🧵Thank you to @bmj_latest for an excellent article doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o2… by @Garethiacobucci "Evusheld: Government is urged to expedite covid antibody treatment for vulnerable patients". It highlights ongoing clinical pressure to protect the #immunocompromised. Pls RT
2/x What's the issue......"With covid-19 cases rising 📈 and winter approaching, immunocompromised patients are frustrated at the government’s 🏦 inaction on rolling out the preventive drug" 💉
3/x "The UK government has been urged to re-examine its decision not to purchase a new covid-19 antibody drug for clinically extremely vulnerable people, amid warnings that these patients face renewed risk from the disease this winter."😢
2/x. It was done as many blood cancer🩸patients have no detectable immune response following coronavirus vaccination 💉. It is accepted that if you don’t respond to a vaccination, you aren’t as well protected from COVID-19. This answers the counter-argument- is this okay?
3/x. In 505 patients with B-cell malignancies, in a real world setting. This is a new form of study scientists use nowadays (vs a randomised study-RCT, where 50% of people get a sugar injection). RCT are generally not thought to be acceptable. They looked at patient's blood.
1/x 🧵I was humbled by #immunocompromised patients for a surprise gift as we try to "surface" the #forgotten500k issue. Nice surprise before my busy NHS clinic. Our clinical leads didn't plan to be here and are glad to support the coronavirus Winter plan/pilot call #evusheld.
2/x I believe that calls for action/help from patient groups + charities are important + need acknowledgement. If people are in difficult positions, still shielding after 2.5 years 😢🏠, the best we can do is try & carefully evaluate. I am glad they trust us/me to speak for them.
3/x. Thanks as ever to the @APPG_VGP for starting this patient action campaign. I don't know if we will get their pilot by Winter, for some patients to benefit, but if they do, I know they can count on our doctors and the 125 across 17 specialities to support!😀
1/x 🧵What happens when a diverse group of patients at risk from COVID-19 try to ask what they need? In this case, #immunocompromised & their small ask for protection from COVID-19 with #evusheld. This is my honest assessment as a UK NHS doctor. 👨⚕️🏥. Pls RT.
2/x What's the background? In this case the group affected from COVID-19 are both young + old. They are #immunocompromised. They may have cancer, blood cancer, transplant, autoimmune disease or immunosuppressants. A patient group hasn't linked them before. 🧑💻👩⚖️👨🍳👨🌾
3/x. The pandemic brought them together, because many of them were checking if they had an immune response to coronavirus vaccine, the best form of protection from COVID-19 and they found they had low/absent immune responses. 🙄. itv.com/news/2022-08-1…
1/x 🧵This is an important issue that many clinicians are worried about & I am glad to have been put forwards to talk on behalf of the @APPG_VGP, its 19 patient charities and the National Clinical Expert group which pulls representation from 17 medical specialities & 4 nations...
2/x What's the background? We are living with coronavirus and most of us have high levels of protection from our vaccination 👍😃. However, not everyone gets high levels of protection. If you have a weakened immune response, your protection may not be as quite as high....
3/x. People with a weakened immune response are #immunocompromised & it can affect the young and old. It can happen because you have a cancer or blood cancer, a transplant, an autoimmune condition or because of drugs you receive from your doctor. 🧑⚕️💊😷. There are 500,000 people.