Kidney Matters - Issue 12 Spring 2021

37
Protecting kidney patients: the
Covid-19 vaccines
With the approval of two vaccines capable of protecting us against Covid-19, bringing
our lives safely back to some sort of normality is no longer a pipe-dream.
The approval of Covid-19 vaccines has been extremely
welcome news. It is exciting to see increasing numbers
of people vaccinated. Over time, we hope these
vaccines will help us return to something more like
normality. However, we know kidney patients have
many questions about the vaccines and Kidney Care
UK has been working hard to spread useful and reliable
information.
In December 2020, we ran a patient information
webinar in which a panel of experts answered a wide
range of questions. See the learn more box for a link to
watch the webinar and read a report of the discussion.
Kidney patients were reassured that approved
vaccines will have passed the same stringent safety
tests as any new vaccine and there was no evidence
that they were unsafe for kidney patients. People with
transplants and on immunosuppressant medication
may not have such a strong response, but they are
likely to respond well enough to make the vaccinations
worthwhile. This is particularly important given the
very high risk posed by Covid-19. People with CKD
will be offered the vaccine that is best suited to their
individual needs.
Kidney Care UK is working with clinical colleagues
to make sure the vaccines are delivered to kidney
patients efficiently and quickly and that patients and
all staff working in kidney units have up-to-date and
comprehensive information on the vaccines. This is
helped by us working closely with the vaccine team at
the Department of Health and Social Care.
Our online guidance contains the latest information
about vaccines, but do speak to your kidney team if
you have queries or concerns.
We’d love to hear your vaccination experience
and even more so if you have an accompanying
photograph! Please get in touch at
info@kidneycareuk.org
BREXIT: a continuation of reciprocal
healthcare arrangements is agreed
On Christmas Eve 2020, the EU UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was
formalised. This complex agreement includes confirmation that reciprocal healthcare
arrangements between the European Union and the United Kingdom will continue.
This agreement means that all UK residents will be
able to use the European Health Insurance Card
(EHIC) scheme to receive emergency healthcare in all
countries within the European Union (EU), this included
kidney patients who need to access dialysis. If your
EHIC card has expired, you can now apply for a new
one. The replacement card will be called a GHIC (Global
Healthcare Insurance Card). A current (unexpired)
EHIC or a new GHIC means the cost of your dialysis will
be covered if you dialyse in a public unit. As previously,
you will still need to ensure you have adequate travel
insurance in place.
The inclusion of dialysis provision follows a long
campaign by Kidney Care UK to highlight the needs of
kidney patients. Strategic Director for EU Exit, Professor
Keith Willett states that through us, your voice was
heard throughout these complex exit negotiations. We
would like to thank you if you got involved to ensure that
the travel needs of kidney patients were not forgotten.
It really made a difference and it is quite something that
the Brexit withdrawal agreement includes dialysis as an
example of treatments which can be covered under the
EHIC scheme.
.
For up-to-date Covid-19 advice
for kidney patients and a link to our
patient Covid-19 webinar, along
with information on how to apply
for a GHIC and to read the Brexit
withdrawal agreement go to
www.kidneycareuk.org/learn-more
LEARN MORE
Issue 12 | Spring 2021