We’ll continue to stand by, support and speak up for people living with lupus.
We’ll be continually reviewing this content as the COVID-19 situation evolves across the UK and guidance changes over time. Therefore, it’s important to check this page regularly for updates.
Guidance for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable
Some people are at very high risk of severe illness and hospital admission from coronavirus because of an underlying health condition such as lupus.
If you’re in this group, you will have received a letter from the NHS or from your GP telling you this. You may have been advised to shield in the past.
If you’re affected, check the guidance where you live, which may include some additional measures:
Anyone aged 16 or over can get the coronavirus vaccine and rollout of the vaccine to all children over 12 has begun.
All people aged 16 and over and live in England, including those with diabetes, can book an appointment online to receive your vaccine or call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.
There are differences in how England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are rolling out the vaccine. If you feel that you should be invited to get your vaccine but haven’t yet, speak to your GP and talk it through with them.
You can find more guidance about who should get a vaccine and when from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations (JCVI).
Booster Vaccination Programme
The booster vaccination programme is now being extended for all people aged 18 and over.
Those eligible will only be able to book an appointment for a booster dose if it's been at least 3 months since their second dose of the vaccine.
The booster will be offered to adults in groups of descending age order, with priority given to older adults and those over 16 in groups identified as being at higher risk, including people with diabetes
People who are eligible for this will be contacted by the NHS when they are due for their booster appointment. Please wait to be contacted before booking a booster dose.
Severely immunosuppressed people will be offered another booster which for some people will be their fourth dose.
The NHS is currently working on plans to deliver these changes to the booster vaccine programme. In the meantime, If you are in England and aged 16 or over and living with diabetes or another condition that puts you at higher risk, or for all aged 40 and over and received your second vaccine five months ago or longer, booking can be done online: book your COVID-19 booster vaccine appointment
Your booster dose may be different from the vaccines you had for your first and second doses. Most people will be offered the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Moderna (Spikevax) vaccine.
What vaccines are available?
There are many vaccines in development for COVID-19, but we don’t know exactly when each of these will be available. So far, two COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in the UK – the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine became available in early December 2020, and the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine will be available from January 2021.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be available from December 2020, but this may only be in small numbers, with more doses and other vaccines becoming available in early 2021 as they are approved.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is not a live vaccine, and people who take medicines to suppress the immune system can have this vaccine. People on these types of drugs are on the priority list for vaccination that has been produced by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
If you’re not sure about whether you can have a particular vaccine, then speak to your healthcare team to discuss this. Don’t stop your usual treatment without discussing it with your healthcare team first.
It’s not recommended that people who are pregnant receive the vaccine. This is because there isn’t enough evidence about how the vaccine works during pregnancy. You also shouldn’t have the vaccine while breastfeeding or try to get pregnant within two months of having the last dose of the vaccine.
Both of the available vaccines are thought to offer short-term protection after the first dose. The second dose is important for long-term protection from COVID-19.
None of the proposed UK vaccines have live Coronavirus.
Information and guidance from the Rheumatology Team at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
We know social distancing and self-isolating can be hard and can take its toll on our mental health and wellbeing.
How are you feeling today? Talking to someone can make a big difference. Whether it’s to a relative, friend, partner or healthcare professional, never be afraid to open up about how you’re feeling.
Keeping active at home.
However you’re getting active, it’s all good for your health and wellbeing.
Lupus is a condition for life and during its course it may affect you differently at different times. Research shows that regular exercise leads to a decrease in symptoms and pain, and an increase in energy! It’s not enough to rely on medication. You also have to exercise.
When lupus is active, you may not feel like doing very much and it’s important to rest when you need to. Too much rest, however, will cause the muscles to weaken and may make you feel more tired. You need to find the right balance between rest and exercise.
If you can get moving from a seated position, the NHS have some seated exercises which can be followed by those with a range of health conditions, at a pace that suits you.
Reusable Face Mask.
Our reusable face masks are made with a dual layer water repellent coated polyester, as well as a soft-woven inner polyester with antimicrobial properties for superior comfort and protection.
Key Features:
- 100% water-repellent polyester with dust-proof membrane.
- Antimicrobial comfort layer.
- Washable & reusable.
- Enhanced Qwick-Dri™ wicking technology.
Even apart, we’re in this together.
Send to someone special to remind them when there’s rain, to look for the rainbow. We’ve got this!
There is no membership to The Hibbs Lupus Trust. All of our services & information are provided for FREE.
You are not on this journey alone.
Lupus Warrior Flare Pack.
We have been working on some care packs for lupus warriors experiencing a flare.
Knowing that it can be the little things that make a difference when the force of a flare strikes, we hope these packs will bring a little relief and a smile to someone going through a tough time.
You can nominate someone who you would like to send a care pack to and we will do the rest. Just let us know a few details and we can tailor the pack.
