Freebies

No I don’t thinks that we should have been charged for this or any other vaccinations. Starting to charge for medication which contributes to the better general public health of the nation is a step on the road to privatisation of the health service and of a two tier health system.
Having seen the itemised bill for an operation carried out in Switzerland I was shocked to see that every pill, stitch and plaster was itemised and charged for. The health care insurance premiums for systems like this are eye watering. I really would not like to go down this path.

Yes I would have paid for my vaccine whilst being aware that I may be giving legitimacy to a system seeking to penalise the less privileged for their circumstances. Not a good thought and one of course which could not be countenanced in the civilised society we pride ourselves in being.

I would have made a contribution towards my vaccination.
A mile from where we live Astra Zeneca has been produced. The company has always financially supported the local community for years charities schools etc.

My friend's GD who is 18 and fit has Covid and is very ill with it. It can't be compared to the flu virus. Since Covid started I have had to pay to see a private GP because my NHS GP surgery almost closed down. So yes I would have paid but I wouldn't have been very happy about it. Like people are saying NHS is funded by the taxpayer.

We'd happily have paid for our vaccinations, just as I paid for the flu jab before I was entitled to a free one. However there was limited availability of vaccine initially so I think it made more sense to give it first to those who needed it most.
I'm prepared to bet that there are many countries where the rich are jumping the queue, leaving the vulnerable to die from the virus.

How do we know this is not someone in government trying to find out if we are all willing to pay so that they can charge in future for any boosters of it etc? I did have to pay when i thought we would benefit from the pneumonia vaccine also, last year- i paid for 2 at over £70each. Only my youngest son got it free at Dr's as he was still 17 then, with asthma/chest problems.Luckily it lasts up to 10 yrs.

Yes we’d have paid, same as we used to pay for our flu jabs, but I’m glad not to have to do so.

In India where there is a lot of Covid, people have to pay between $4 -$6 for a jab. Many are too poor to afford this. Hospitals also do not have enough oxygen and the fortunate few who are able to afford it can purchase Oxygen cylinders to take with them to hospital. Unfortunately some of these cylinders are fake.
So be grateful that we don't have to pay separately for our jabs!

Yes, I would have been willing to contribute to either the vaccine or further research.

Definitely YES

In general, the handling of the pandemic in this country has been woeful. But the one, big thing we got right was the vaccine rollout.

We stuck to the rule of vaccinating the most vulnerable first, despite the vocal interest groups shouting about teachers, policemen, whoever. Nobody was expected to pay for it at the point of getting it, because we all paid for it through our taxes.

Expecting even a donation to cover the cost makes people think its something extra that we should pay for if we can afford it. Or think we can afford it. The vaccine program is for individual benefit but also probably the biggest thing any of us will ever do towards the health of the nation.

(NHS workers etc excluded!)

Redhead56- maybe Astrazeneca should put more of their money into making a drug for covid that does not cause blood clots and so is safer, instead of pouring it into your 'community'???Nothing seems to have been said since, about whether they're working on it to correct that, to make it much safer, has it?? And yet the government are 'thinking' of mixing it with Pfizer to provide the winter booster jabs?- (that'll be the plan they came up with to 'use up stocks' then while they use us as guinea pigs again) - id rather refuse it if they mix it and just stay in all winter?

Mix it? They're not going to pop both of them in a big test tube and ask if you want it shaken not stirred.

Correct it? Correct a vaccine that is over 90% effective and has a tiny incidence of side effects compared with almost every other medicine you can think of?

Please try to understand something about medical research before you start sounding off with ridiculous comments.

Feel somewhat offended by Shirlb comment. Seriously , not that bad? I assume you have not heard of long Covid or do not know of people who have been ill or died. This is very serious and everyone needs to vaccinated as speedily as possible and NOT turn down the vaccine.
Our family were eager to get vaccinated and would gladly have paid. Yes we are taxed but you do not get to choose what your contribution pays for.
These vaccines were only ready as quickly as they were because of worldwide cooperation and not concentrating on profit

Our family were eager to get vaccinated and would gladly have paid. Yes we are taxed but you do not get to choose what your contribution pays for.

Does that mean you would have liked to jump the queue if you had been given the chance?

Its odd, with the flu jab, if your entitled, you can get it free, even in chemist, but last year, even though my younger son could get it at chemist, (i chose chemist for all 3 of us to get it earlier, Dr's surgery weren't getting it in till around november) i had to pay for it for him because " he could have waited and got it free at Dr's, being under 18" - but he's also vulnerable and susceptible to every bug going and by time November came around could have been very ill! G.P's surgeries should get all vaccines supplied earlier in autumn.Especially for the vulnerable.

Not sure why people are being charged for some vaccinations and others are not. I have been given flu vaccine free for over 30 years, not sure if that was because I was a secondary school teacher. Also now retired I got free pneumonia vaccine.
I do feel they should be free to all and though I would be happy to contribute to the cost that doesn't mean I feel we should queue jump.
We have a lot to be grateful to the armed forces for helping with logistics when the government appeared to be messing up everything

Would willingly have paid - especially if proceeds went to funding overseas vaccines

The Red Cross is running a donation scheme so we donated to help someone else in another country have a vaccine. After all, this is a world wide problem. I would definitely have paid for mine! Just as I do for a flu jab.

Alegrias1- Yes, That is EXACTLY what they announced on the BBC news when they announced we would be offered a winter booster of the covid 19 vaccine for the vulnerable groups!- they said they are considering it would possibly be Astrazenica MIXED with Pfizer- (so what other ways is there to mix it together then? If not in test tubes, then put in vials- or just straight into the glass vials-together?? And YES correct it- why shouldn't they be expected to IMPROVE a vaccine that they openly admitted had this 'fault' - I'm sure its not a "TINY INCIDENCE" for the families of those people who have died because of that- my God thats a ridiculous comment you just made if ever there was one.?

Alegrias1 jumping on every one today- no it does not mean Tiggersuki would have 'jumped the queue' it just means she would have gladly paid- which is what O.P asked- but comment meant if we wish to make a contribution towards it, it would be contributed towards anything in NHS, not just covid jabs..Sheesh. some folk on here just like to jump on innocent comments on here and pick on them (probably the ones from mumsnet!) which is why I've not been on for awhile.It spoils it for us 'older giffers' whom GRANSNET was intended for, is it not? ?

I most certainly would yes, because I value my life and I was very grateful to be offered it. The nhs is struggling and I for one am very grateful to have received treatment in the past that saved my life.
To me it meant I had the confidence to live my life again, and get out and about. You can't put a price on that ?

I paid to have the pneumonia vaccination despite qualifying due to health reasons, my doctors surgery ( receptionist) said no I didn't qualify, couldn't be bothered to argue and paid and would have for the covid vaccine.

Yes Shirlb comment is a bit off- some are terribly ill with it even if they survive it- and the realisation now of long covid problems points out that yes, it really is that bad, even if you are one of the ones who survive it.Some may have it, but not have many symptoms, but it doesn't make it not that bad in their future, or indeed for many others.

Only jumping on the people who make silly comments Nannan2. I've been quite nice on the Princess Alexandra thread

You "mix" them by getting one at one appointment and the other at your second appointment. Or AZ for the first two most of us have already had and Pfizer for the booster. Not in the same injection

And if you don't think "tiny incidence" means ... well... "tiny incidence" then I don't know how to continue with this conversation.

But I'm the ridiculous one, sure.