Government support for Covid shielders in England and Wales ends today – though few have had the second dose of vaccine
For people classed as “clinically extremely vulnerable”, shielding officially began on 23 March last year. For me, it began some days before that. I have spinal muscular atrophy, and contracted swine flu in 2009, when I spent more than three months in hospital. I’ve been using a ventilator through a tracheotomy ever since. Were I to catch Covid-19, I’d be unlikely to survive.
Shielding must come to an end at some point. But according to recent research from Scope, three out of four disabled people – myself included – won’t be leaving our houses until we’ve had the second dose of the Covid vaccine. Recent NHS data shows that just 8.5% of clinically extremely vulnerable people have had their second dose. Although it’s only a matter of weeks until many of these people receive this jab, as of today, the government is cutting support for shielders – and effectively pulling the rug from under us.
