The coronavirus vaccine rollout

Our local vaccine guardian has said if you are over 70 you could go on line and book a slot for the jab at a local hub you didn’t have to wait for a letter.
My husband was called for his jab by vaccine coordinator and had his jab a week before the letter arrived.

We're having ours today!!!! Whooppeeeeeee!!!

We are still waiting 74 and 72. Looked online and you can’t book unless you have had a letter....
Made worse because everyone (!) seems to have had theirs.

We are Kent/ London borders

Oh, I understood from the 10 o'clock news last night that the Novovax (suddenly appeared out of the blue?) vaccine is not actually 'approved', but ready for the approval process, which takes several weeks. Or have I got this wrong?

But surely I'm right that the Oxford-Astrozenica vaccine was first tested predominantly on under 65s and had to undergo some extra tests for efficacy on over 65s which were necessarily less widely based and not tested over so long a period.

So I think that there has been a bit of sleight of hand with the figures, as with the Pfizer delay with the 2nd dose, in order to justify getting the first jab to as many as possible to as many as possible.

I'm 71 and having my jab on Sunday. South West.

Where in Scotland are you Jane?I am in the Central Belt. My friends received their appointment letters on Monday and all of the front line workers and care home residents that I know have already been vaccinated. You need to check what is happening in your local area.

Near Brighton - aged 75 having Pfizer on Sunday?

Here in Anglesey under the Betsi Cadwaladr HB no letter yet. Friends over eighty have had jab but don’t know anyone under eighty who have even had an appointment never mind the jab itself.
Glad for other areas but wish things would move forward here too,
Great that our UK government had the foresight to order plenty from various sources and hope any surplus goes to poorer countries in desperate need.

Had my first dose - the AZ - this morning, and am very grateful.
It was done in a big centre - part of the university (SW London) and was IMO extremely well organised.

Had ours a week ago, felt rather more tired than usual for three days or so, but no other ill effects.It was the Pfizer vaccine.

73 in Wales and no vaccine yet. ?

Friend of 70 just texted she booked her and her husband’s jab online at Stockley Park GC without any notice from doctor. Have been given second jab timetable. Surely this isn’t correct! Scam, queue jumping ! I’m confused!

Beware of fraudulent emails regarding vaccine appointments and asking you to click on a link. Genuine NHS emails will refer to your doctors practice and details of where your nearest vaccination centre is located, not just a dubious link.

Rosalyn69

73 in Wales and no vaccine yet. ?

My friend aged 73 in Crickhowell has just had her letter so yours is probably on its way!

Our GPs have finished doing all over 80s and care home residents and staff and moving on to over 70s and shielding/vulnerable.
Took my Mum (85) for her jag on Monday. She had Oxford AstroZenica. Has been fine - no side effects. DD2 had hers on Tuesday (nurse) at work in new Children's hospital. They are getting Pfizer. She was OK next day but has been floored by headache, chills, fever and aching since then. Her colleagues have had similar side effects. Looking into it the suggestion is to get it just before days off as she has been unable to go to work for 2 days though feels slightly better today by lunchtime. She knows she hasn't got Covid as they are now doing lethal flow tests twice a week.

I don't understand why that would be Jane. Both Mum and DD2 have dates in April for 2nd dose. Edinburgh.

I'm in Midlands. Messaged on Wednesday from Doctors to click link to get appointment on Saturday. Hurrah. Im in Cohort 4 - age 69 but clinically vulnerable. DH is 71 (same cohort) but no appointment as yet. I'm thrilled but will have to continue to shield after vaccination as have suppressed autoimmune issue.

Everything we read says you have to wait for the letter. My husband has had his letter and booked both appointments online. I believe some people are going on to the site and booking, although they haven't had a letter.
I think this is out of order. Thankfully the government are considering fines.

Kate1949 Where have you heard about the government considering fines?

Kate1949 some Health Boards in Wales are allowing people to go on a secondary waiting list by registering their details online. It’s by age band, so you can’t register if you aren’t in the correct age band. The idea is that the mass vaccination centre will ring you at short notice if others with booked appointments haven’t turned up, which saves them wasting vaccinations.
I don’t know if the same system applies in the other nations, but it would be worth checking your local health service webpage coronavirus page to see if you can do the same - mine allows people who think they may have been missed, eg over 80s to register direct so they are offered the first available appointment.

Jane10

I don't understand how it can be so slow up here. There are venues, vaccinators and vaccine. Why can't we go faster? We're all just sitting around waiting while politicians talk and talk.

I don’t understand, either, Jane10. My mum is still waiting. She’s 93. She eventually managed to speak to her surgery who just said they’d get round to her eventually.

I see Jean Freeman today said all over 70’s should have had a letter with an appt by the end of this week. There’s only tomorrow left and we rarely get post on a Saturday. Our area is going to be sending out appts to over 65s next week - how can they do that when the over 70’s haven’t been done? ?‍♀️

Yet in England loads of my friends who are in their 50’s and even 40’s are now getting called.

Looks like the eu is trying to put a stop to deliveries here. Even though we bought it 3 months ago

For some reason there does seem to be an issue in Scotland and Northern Ireland with the daily vaccination rates. This graph was part of an article on the BBC Welsh online news today. It was comparing Wales with the other nations, so no explanation about the figures for the other nations, but the same graph doesn’t seem to be on the Scottish BBC page, don’t know why.

I've held back from commenting because when it comes to personal things I prefer not to make a comment. But when it comes to this constant denigration of the situation in Scotland I feel I need to comment. As of today Scotland have vaccinated 9.5% of the population. England have done about 11.5%. Good for them. Wales about 10.5%, Northern Ireland just over 9%.

Possible reasons - more centres of high population in England where they can race through high numbers all in one day. Just a thought.

So the perception that Scotland is slow is really rather biased, I'm sorry. Yes we're slower than 2 of the other 3 UK nations, but its not like they're double what we've done.

And if the over 65s are getting their appointment letters, that doesn't mean that their appointments are going to be before the over 70s. Maybe it just means they are getting ahead with planning the appointments.

I'm sorry that your Mum hasn't had her appointment yet Sue and I hope she'll get it soon.