Patient with chronic lung condition denied Covid jab

A woman who had half her lung removed has called for the Covid vaccine to be given the same priority as the flu jab after she caught the virus three times in the months since she was dropped from the eligibility list. Ella Halpern-Matthews, a historian from Kent, has a severe respiratory illness and has been asthmatic since birth.

- SHAHEENA UDDIN

She had half a lung removed due to cystic adenomatoid malformation and suffers from chronic chest infections, which make her more vulnerable to common colds and Covid. However, she stopped being eligible for an NHS booster vaccine earlier this year when the health service updated its criteria.

The 27-year-old takes precautions to protect herself by wearing a mask and she avoids crowded, poorly ventilated spaces such as the London Underground. Despite this, she has still caught Covid three times since her last booster jab.

She says her health condition makes her feel “cut off from society”, forcing her to miss out on parties, concerts or family birthdays.

She said: “If I want to protect my health, I’m essentially forced to be a hermit and forgo community and life in public. Beyond the physical and mental exhaustion of infection, it’s been extremely difficult navigating the UK social scene, because no one wants to talk about Covid, no one tests when they’re sick, and people don’t like to cancel plans when they’re unwell.”

Ms Halpern-Matthews says she has had “frank difficult conversations with friends and loved ones” over testing and mask wearing and is now “actively seeking out new Covid-conscious friends”.