Covid 19 UK Inquiry into the 500k Forgotten immunocompromised patients
15 Mar. 2023
Evusheld for the UK, a patient campaigning group who working tirelessly to get Evusheld available in the UK, said on their #forgotten500k Facebook group
"This is one of the most significant documents produced to date as it really highlights the multiple and significant failures by the Government in its handling of the pandemic. The APPG will be sending this document out to all MP's across the house and also the DHSC. Please help us spread this document far and wide. We need you to share this with your MP's too, Media, Charities, Clinicians and anyone you think needs to know. We need to get it out there."
MDS UK endorses the statement made by Evusheld for the UK and continues to try to raise awareness for the need for Evusheld, a Covid-19 preventative treatment for people who are immunocompromised.
Of the half a million immunocompromised people in the UK, many are still shielding, still in isolation, unable to work, see friends or hug loved ones. Evusheld, the treatment that could help protect them against Covid, has been denied to them by the UK Government, despite being approved in 32 other countries.
MDS and CMML patients are still forced to be extremely cautious with no particular reassurance, nor any further research available to show that it is safe for MDS and CMML patients to be exposed to COVID-19.
Instead, our patients just hear about more COVID-19 cases amongst their friends, neighbours, colleagues, families. The relative health of MDS and CMML patients is too fragile to take any risks. Surely, a drug like Evusheld would offer some extra peace of mind for groups of patients who have put their lives on hold for the last 3 years. For some high-risk MDS patients, whose prognosis can be even less than 3 years – it is utterly unfair – when an improvement could be so easily available.
You can help
AstraZeneca’s Evusheld is a preventative (“prophylactic”) treatment for Covid, approved for UK use on the 17th March 2022. However, there has been no progress since then on the drug’s accessibility on the NHS or privately. This has prolonged the shielding imposed on so many of us across the UK. Our group exists for one purpose: to get this drug introduced in the UK with access for all those who need it.
Visit www.getevusheld.uk/500k to make the Government act today.
