September 16, 2021
The government has announced an end to the shielding programme, which gave specific guidance to people considered clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to the COVID-19 virus, including people living with WM.
WMUK is concerned by this announcement, especially when there is evidence from research that people with blood cancer might not respond as well to the vaccination as the general population. It also seems a strange course of action when CEV people are being called up for a third vaccine dose over the coming months.
“We need to protect those most at risk from the vaccine, including people living with WM,” says Jane Nicholson, WMUK CEO. “By ending the shielding programme, this safety net has been taken away. People living with WM may now have to go back into work, in busy offices or commutes, putting them more at risk. With winter approaching and new variants emerging, we’re calling on the government to review this decision or put in extra measures to help protect CEV people.”
You can read the government’s full press release here.
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