The following Written Questions have been asked by the Countess of Mar. They are addressed to the UK’s Dept. of Health.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to replace the current test for human vitamin B12 status with the Active B12 (holotranscobalamin) test; and if not, why not.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to find an alternative and reliable test to assess the vitamin B12 status of the population; and what level of false high results the current test provides.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review how pernicious anaemia and other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency in the United Kingdom population are diagnosed and treated, particularly taking into account the neurological and mental health impact of any failure to diagnose quickly and accurately; and, if not, why not.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that a reliable test to assess the vitamin B12 status of the United Kingdom population is made available as a means to prevent serious and irreversible neurological damage before any mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid is introduced.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the frequency at which patients with pernicious anaemia require vitamin B12 replacement therapy by injection; whether they have any evidence that patients are purchasing additional supplies from unregulated sources; and whether they will review current guidance.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the social and economic costs of misdiagnosis or late diagnosis of pernicious anaemia and other vitamin B12 deficiencies; and, if so, what they consider them to be.
I have received a letter from my GP that for the next six months I am to go on B12 oral therapy, instead of my 12 week vaccines in order to reduce the amount of close contact due to Coronavirus.
My understanding is that I have B12 deficiency due to my gut not being able to absorb B12, how is this oral therapy going to keep me going for the next months.
Is my health being put at risk?
Please see the recently issued BSH Guidance on B12 and Covid and point your GP to it: https://pernicious-anaemia-society.org/pernicious-anaemia/bsh-guidance-on-b12-changed/