I'm totally biased but one of the issues was that shielding was 'temporarily paused' through much of the Summer, despite the risk being still very real. People like my OH could have been expected to still travel to work, work in an office or do the supermarket shop in that time despite being much, much more likely to die from it.
I know people who had to go to work every day, despite knowing it will likely kill them just to pay the bills that month.
My OH is shielding but still worked a few hours from home. We are incredibly fortunate that I'm the main earner and we don't rely on my OH's salary at all - without wanting to sound condescending, he works literally a couple of hours to give himself a sense of purpose, a sense of routine plus the chance for some work banter. Again, I stress we are very fortunate that we are in a position that if the CV risks get too much or in non CV times, it got too much for his health he packs it in immediately. That was always our pact (I was anti him working initially) but there are a lot of people who aren't able to do that and rely on that shielding person's salary.
Shielding doesn't actually extend to me either - again, I'm incredibly fortunate that I can work from home, manage my own work and risks but also, that I have an incredibly understanding boss who sent me home in March and told me I was under no circumstances to return to either our office or client's until it was safe.
But, imagine if I didn't? If I was still having to use public transport or worked in a supermarket or pharmacy or anywhere similiar. The risk to my OH would be so, so high.
It's been hard enough to cope with day to day shielding for 11 months without the 'fun' of trying to balance picking up prescriptions (my OH takes over a hundred tablets a day and does over 6 hours of treatments so we can't stockpile more than a few months worth ...)..We unfortunately don't get all his treatment and medication from one place. Some we have to go to the city for - normally it's delivered but CV has even affected the delivery at times.To take delivery of certain drugs, I needed to be approved - which took extra time because, you guessed it, people were off with CV! So my OH had to go. And even when I was approved (oh, the power ...!!), logistically, some weeks I work 50 hours plus without the headache of fitting in a few hours to travel.
It's also not just about leaving the house. In the summer, we had to call an ambulance after a routine test as part of his ongoing treatment. Now, I'm pretty unflappable generally and used to stress. I even have a laminated list of 'stuff' I would need to tell a medical professional in the event of an emergency but I never want to be in a position again of being responsible for making the decision of involving the paramedics knowing it might kill him in the midst of a medical emergency. We got lucky, he was fine on both counts but it could have so easily been a different story.
It's been incredibly hard for so many people, shielders or not, but shielding is so much more complex than it first appears. And certainly more complicated than 'they shouldn't be out'.
I want the vaccination as soon as possible - but I'd happily wait longer, if it meant a vulnerable/ shielding person could get their vaccination first.
But, I do appreciate I'm completely biased and I'd probably have an entirely different view if I hadn't experienced what I have and the complexities of it first hand.
