The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has confirmed its advice for a 2023 spring coronavirus (COVID-19) booster programme offering a vaccine top-up for over-75s, immunosuppressed and residents in care homes for older adults.

The APPG for Vulnerable Groups to Pandemics UK Inquiry has released their report this month (March 2023) into the Forgotten 500k Immunocompromised Patients.

The 17th International Congress on Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS 2023) will take place from 3-6 May 2023 in Marseille, France. Come to the Congress in Marseille, where international MDS experts will present and discuss the recent advances in myelodysplastic syndromes. Find out more and how to register (earlybird rates until March 7 2023).

‘What my body has taught me’ is a poem by Marianne Elliot, sent in by the wonderful Reverend Kes Grant who has lived with MDS for many years.

Dedicate a star in memory of a loved one on the MDS UK Christmas Tree.

Gary Fielding, will be competing in the Cardiff Bay 10K this March to remember his grandad, Stanley Morris, raise awareness of MDS and raise funds for MDS UK Patient Support Group. Gary, who lives in Cardiff now, grew up in Blackburn, Lancashire where he spent a lot of time with his grandfather Stanley.  Stanley’s MDS diagnosis took a long time and he was diagnosed at the age of 90. Donate via Gary’s JustGiving page. Find out more.

Join in solidarity with the 300 million people around the world who have a rare disease by lighting or decorating your home with the Rare Disease Day colours at 7 PM your local time on 28 February 2023. Rare Disease Day is a globally-coordinated movement that calls for action for people living with a rare disease to have equal opportunities in healthcare, access to diagnosis and therapies and social opportunity. Find out more.

A recording of a meeting with the clinical trial investigators Dr Manoj Raghavan, Dr Stephen Jenkins, Dr Farhat Khanim and Professor Chris Bunce, discussing the REPAIR-MDS trial with a large group of MDS UK patients. The topics include: the current treatment options for Low-Risk MDS – a description of the REPAIR-MDS clinical trial and the general clinical trial processes
– eligibility for the trial, expectations, treatment periods, schedule of events, importance of completing the trial and where to find out about the progress of the trial. The presentation was followed by Q&As.

The cold periods this winter bring the possibility of power-cuts across the country.  If you have a long-term illness (like MDS or CMML), the energy networks can offer you extra help and support via a free service called the Priority Services Register. Find out how to sign up and get other tips on what to do in a power-cut.