I don’t normally do this kind of direct outreach, but the situation for people with serious immune system compromise at the moment in the UK is grim. We cannot produce responses to the covid vaccines and so remain shielding/in total isolation. There is a drug available and regulated, but the UK government has not bought it.

As my local Clinical Commissioning Group put it: “Although Evusheld has been approved by the MHRA, there is currently no national policy decision yet (this would need to come from NHS England (NHSE) for approval in the NHS).”

This drug is the lifesaver we’ve been waiting for. It would let us come out of shielding. But you can’t even get it privately in the UK. The UK is the only developed country in the world not yet to have it available.

So this is a direct plea: please help us by taking the actions on this page.

Write to your MP

First, find your MP at Write To Them. There’s no point writing to an MP who isn’t yours.

Second, adapt this template and send it on:

Dear [MP NAME],

I am one of your constituents writing on behalf of my friend who has immune system damage due to chemotherapy.

In March 2022 a new treatment was authorized by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) specifically for people who have had cancers/other immune damaging treatments and for whom the current Covid vaccines do not provide adequate protection. In particular, people like my friend, treated with Rituximab, are at serious ongoing danger and remain shielding (please see https://rheumatology.medicinematters.com/covid-19/rituximab/national-covid-cohort-collaborative/19947862).

Despite this drug being authorized, patients have been unable to access it either via hospitals (who say it has not been purchased) or privately (who say it is "only available on the NHS"). A recent article in the news noted that the UK is the only developed country in the world not to have ordered this drug to protect these people.

This drug would be life altering for these patients. It would allow them to re-enter society and I do not understand why this inexpensive treatment, which could re-start normality and full participation, is being withheld. The Clinical Commissioning Group that my friend contacted said that "Although Evusheld has been approved by the MHRA, there is currently no national policy decision yet."

I would be grateful for anything you could do to draw this to the government's attention.

Yours,

[YOUR NAME]

Sign this petition

Online petitions are not the most effective form of political activism, but if you could sign this, it might help.

Spread this blog post

A really important final action is to share and spread this blog post. I am convinced that most people want to help but simply do not know a.) that there are people still shielding; or b.) what they can do to help. Please pass this along and ask others to help.