Long journey for vaccine

A word of advice. Give this vaccine a month to build up immunity in your body before you think you can gad around.

2 nurses and a GP all contracted the virus after having had their vaccines. The GP actuall caught the virus 3 weeks after the vaccine had been administered.

The world health organisation says that some countries are unlikely to receive the vaccine until 2022, spare a thought for them.

If you don’t feel like ringing the surgery, as they are so busy, you can always email.

I understood that these great big centres are in addition to the more local ones and that, in the beginning, these appointments were sent out before the GPs were informed.

It seems ludicrous to me when we are being asked to keep travel to a minimum. I really hoped the government would not mess up the vaccination programme but I think they have: with last week Matt Hancock telling lies again saying they were still on target for getting all over 70s vaccinated by mid February then saying he guaranteed all over 80s would get vaccinated within 4 weeks ( beyond the date for all over 70s) and that is clearly not possible.
In late December I had a doctor's appointment and my GP said the surgery was ready to go with vaccinations once they were sent the vaccine BUT this has not happened, instead the over 80s are offered a choice of 3 venue hubs one 12 miles away(one way), one 60 miles and one 86 miles away and all only vaccinating just 2 days a week. Well we live in rural North Devon not a big city!!! No idea when we will get vaccinated but I would take whatever you can.

I'd travel a ninety mile round trip this instant if I could have the vaccine now, snow and all.

That is terrible, surely there must be a centre nearer than 45 miles away from you. Phone your GP, your local Councillor, MP. There has to be a centre nearer.

Our GPs are saying DO NOT ring under any circumstances regarding Covid vaccinations. They will get to everyone eventually IF they receive allocations promised which so far haven’t materialised.

I had one if those letters offering centres miles away. I had already googled vaccination centres in my home town and already knew there were several. My own GP was sharing a venue at the local golf club with other local GPs. Yet the letter didn't mention any if them. I phoned the number on the letter to ask why. The lady said that the NHS letter was sent to everyone due a vaccination to cover any who might not be invited by their GP.
I elected to wait and two days later I got a text from my GP with a link to make an online booking at said golf club. I duly clicked the link, made the booking and had my jab yesterday.
I'd, check it with your GP. You can always cancel the long distance booking and wait for one nearer to home. Good Luck.

In my town in the East Midlands the letters are directing people to two centres one about 30 miles away and one about 45 miles away, however the local showground is being used as a vaccination centre and as long as you have received a letter or phone message from your GP you can contact the showground and get an appointment with a week. So no more than an average of 3-5 mile journey for most people.

Some people in my village had to go forty miles for their jab and had to go by taxi but two weeks later the local surgery are doing them. It seems to be random, neither alphabetically or by age. I am housebound so nurse came to do mine

The process I have had to go through has had me at screaming point. I have had texts inviting me to go online or phone to make an appointment. The texts seemed to come from my GP who is at the end of my road a few steps away. When I went online I was given option for a centre and did not know where any of them were. Having sorted that one out ( the nearest centre to me is a 20 minute drive away ) I booked my slot only for the website to churn round and round and get stuck. I am not sure that the booking has registered. When I tried again I got s message to say I was not authorised to use the website. I tried the phone number to find a recorded message that all lines were used then the dialling tone . Have tried the phone number again and again .My GP is saying don't contact them about the vaccine. I am getting a text a day offering bookings and the same story each time.
I am going to have to ask for a lift from friends - no family nearby. I don't fancy a taxi in such an unknown situation when you get to the centre. I could end up with a very big fare.
Good luck to us all in receiving the vaccine.
I will keep plugging away.

Well I certainly had no shortage of requests to attend a vaccination. In all, 6 phone requests including one to my D to arrange for her to give me a lift there, and now, just in the post, an NHS letter requesting me to attend when I ring the number enclosed along with my NHS number. ( I've been ! )

Doesn't anyone communicate any more ?

PS, I was never in any hurry anyway

Thanks Tilly! That’s what I wanted to clarify!

Do NOT ring your GO surgery, they can't cope with the calls. You are invited to a vaccination hub if you are within 45 minutes driving of it: however you can wait for the letter asking you to make appointment from your GP's surgery which will point you to their own GP-led vaccination point.

New vaccination centres are being set up every day. I am sure there will be one closer soon.

I got the letter but did not like the location suggested. I rang my local surgery this morning and a recorded message told me that if I have had the letter but don't want to go to the location I will eventually be sked to attend at my local surgery. So I am going to wait.

Helgawills is right. There are two systems. You are only supposed to be offered the National if you live within 45 minutes drive of a centre. Ours is 1h15 drive, so we did not get a national letter. I got a letter inviting me to go online ( or ring) to book at any of our local centres. There are 7. The one I chose is about 7 miles. I could choose my day and time, from those available, so I chose 11am.
The GP is not involved and they have a notice telling patients not to contact them about vaccinations, though last weekend they did do care home vaccinations.

Yes, BlueSky, the suburb I mentioned is 5 miles from our village, we can give lifts to neighbours, one has a car as well.

Apparently 2 letters go out, one national, one local. National have no idea of geography. Somebody, who lives in a suburb with a vaccination hub was told to go 60+ miles away to Birmingham by first letter, which they ignored. In Notts we are in lowest % for over 80s, lots of over 90s around here have not heard.

I don’t think the how to get there has been worked out well if at all. If you don’t drive you’ve got to rely on somebody to give you a lift, not everybody have a partner/family nearby. Bus/taxi I wouldn’t be too happy to use for obvious reasons. But it seems that after booking a far away location, many have received the option of a nearer easier one, which in any case, unless you can walk there, still requires transport!

Fortunately we've had our vaccinations at a surgery only a couple of miles from home, though we could not have got there without driving. I wouldn't have driven myself there in the snow, particularly as there might not have been parking available at the surgery.
My BIL decided to turn down his first offer as it was many miles from home. Its difficult to weigh the risk of catching Covid whilst you wait for a vaccination against the difficulty of getting to the offered appointment.

My mum was offered a vaccine at a big center about 70 miles away. She rang her gp and he said not to go because he would have slots in the next fortnight. Ring your gp and ask for something closer to home. New centre's are coming online now and soon pharmacists will be offering it too.

DH has just rang GP and he is having his vaccination Wednesday morning in the clinic 5 minute walk along our road.

MissA I have pm’d you

MissAdventure

I'm trying to book up.
6am in Ipswich is the only option so far.
(I'm in Essex)

That is dreadful. My “fellow Grandpa “is in Woodford (Redbridge) and he had his at a civilised hour on Saturday.
There is clearly a huge disparity in areas and practices.
I drove 2 miles yesterday morning to my GP practice and was home in just over half an hour.

When I got back from having my vaccine, which was arranged by phone call with a G.P. there was a letter from the NHS inviting me to go on line to get an appointment to have the vaccine.