Have you had to travel for your vaccination?

We had ours last week having been contacted by our GP surgery the week before. It was done in the village hall and was very well co-ordinated. We only had a short drive through the village to get there luckily. I wish the flu jab had been done this way.

Several of our local surgeries centralised their vacinations at a local health centre. My husband went on a saturday and our practice nurse was among the staff, I went on a weekday and it was being staffed by army medics.
Over the last 4yrs my husband has had treatment at several different hospitals each in a different hospital group and he has had an invitation for a vaccination from each of them.

I had mine at the local showground at the beginning of February. I had to drive about 10 miles which I was very happy to do because it allowed me to go further from home for the first time in weeks.

I have since been informed that I am CEV so when I have to have my second jab towards the end of April it will be even better as I am only going out for exercise at the moment.

I had to travel about 35 miles for mine. I was offered it by work as a key worker and at the time, that was the only venue offered to us.

Now however, there are several more venues far more locally - including the office I work at, which obviously would have been much more convenient.

I have to go back to the original venue for the second dose, but actually I'm so grateful to have it, that I'd happily travel much further if needed.

I had mine six weeks ago after an invitation from my GP. It wasn't at their surgery though as all local practices have come together and are sharing space with a practice about 15 minutes drive away. My daughter who is a foster carer had hers at our (closer) local hospital and I'm happy not to have been asked to go there as the risk of infection there was very much higher in January.

I didn't wait for a letter, I just went online and was able to book. We were given plenty of choices for venues and also the distance we would have to travel. We choose a small village that we knew where the venue was the village hall. We travelled 34 miles, had our jab, we had a lovely day out with a takeaway lunch by the river. Our letter for our jabs came from our GP some 3 weeks later.

My 77 year old mum ended up spending £60 on a taxi for the round trip for her first vaccination. I don't drive and she was unable to get a lift. She contacted the community hub but they couldn't help with transport. Fortunately she has been able to move her appointment for the second one to a more local venue

GPs are only there if you have a problem booking for yourself. When you get a letter or text you follow the instructions. We have a new vaccine site opened near our surgery BUT the surgery can't book there, when they go online to the exclusive GP booking system they have only two other sites to choose from. I would suggest if you can't book online or at a suitable venue try calling 119 (although that service is rather hit and miss)

10 minute walk to GP practice. There's a bus but I get little enough exercise as it is.

We, 65 & 63 opted to travel just as soon as our ages appeared on the nhs website, not knowing how long we would have to wait, otherwise, to hear from either the nhs by letter or GP by phone.
We had our jabs 3 and 2 weeks ago.
Otherwise we would still be waiting to hear anything at all, either by phone or letter.
We decided to be proactive and sort it but had to drive over 30 miles each ( Yeovil and Poole from West Dorset ). So 60 miles round trip.
It could have been worse, we were offered some venues over 70 miles away!!! ( 140 miles round trip ! )

My partner had a letter asking him to go to a centre approx 25 miles away but he was contacted a couple of days later by our surgery and was vaccinated there.

I was given the option of travelling to Durham (about 60 miles) .....or a little nearer, 40 miles ....chose not to do that (no private transport, so would have involved a bus, a train then a taxi (ha ha ..very risk free !!!) so I waited until I could get one only 10 miles away ...went there very early one morning (on the first public transport of the day !) ....no problem ....but I DO think , when we are told still to STAY HOME etc that to be given appointments a fair way away and having to take public transport (or pay around £100 for a taxi there and back) is a bit defeating the object !!! not thought out ,,,,,

We don't have a car, won't use public transport in the pandemic and I couldn't walk as far as our nearest centre (my husband could walk it ok). I was just wondering how I would ever get my jab when out of the blue my GP called and said they were in the area with leftover vaccine if I was in they'd pop over and jab me. A bit of sheer luck!

My husband and I got our jabs as soon as the vaccine was available. We were contacted by our G. P Surgery, and an appointment was made at the local senior citizens centre. We are due for our boosters on 1st April. I suppose we have been very lucky.

I had a call from my GP practice to come in the next day. Only a mile to travel.

I searched and searched for weeks for an appointment for mine without success. Then I located one and an appointment for the second one at a centre and booked it.

I live in France, so this is only posted to make you smile. The distance travelled there and back was 750 kilometres, but we decided to take a picnic and the dogs and make it a day out!
Sometimes determination pays off - or can make you look like a nutter!!

I am travelling 65 miles for my first jab.
DH got his letter the day before me. We managed to get his appointments booked locally and he gets his first jab on Saturday.
The following day, when my letter arrived, I couldn’t get my jab locally until the end of this month. The option was there to get it next Tuesday, albeit 65 miles away.
I opted for that one so that at least we would have our jabs at a similar time. I did manage to get a local appointment for my second jab.
At least we get to have a ride out on Tuesday and have a change of scenery.

I had a letter and had mine at a nearby hub. Later that day after I had the vaccine my doctor’s surgery rang to arrange a date. Obviously I told them I had had it that day. DH had his at the GP’s surgery his nhs letter coming a couple of days later.

My DW (shielding) waited and was invited to the local community hospital maybe fifteen minutes drive away. I got the letter, hers came a few days later, rang up and booked BOTH jabs but at the ‘nearest’ centre available which was in the nearest city, about half an hours drive away. The day before I was due to go the GP rang and offered me a more local one but I declined as I felt I was well sort already and changing plans risked falling between two stools especially as she could only offer jab 1. Seems that GPs have been allocated small, local centres, pharmacies etc and the national service had the bigger, more city focussed centres allocated to them. End result, we have both had jab one. I know when jab 2 is but she will have to wait to be called forward for her second one. Very happy to have been given the vaccine but will await her second date before feeling all is completely well run.

I had mine 12 miles away as that was the nearest centre & I have underlying health conditions & that was the nearest I could get, my husband is 2 yrs younger with no health conditions was done 4 days before me in our local hospital. I was furious about it and complained to my MP and GP & have been told that now I had my 1st vaccine at that hub I have to stay with them even though my 2nd will be 25th may in a town 12 miles in the opposite direction. Crazy!!

Our GP isn't giving vaccinations onsite so we have to travel to sites which are quite difficult to get to. There has been a huge outcry but we were able to book at a mass vaccination site closer to us.

We have a mega practice, comprising four previously independent practices, covering three local communities. All patients have had vaccinations at our civic centre, just 300 yards down the road from my house. Mine was in the first tranche in mid January, so I have about five weeks to wait for no 2.

The distance travelled there and back was 750 kilometres. Sacré bleu grandmafrench it might have been nearer for you to drive to Dover! If that were allowed of course.

We got the letter and we rang the GP who said they'd be sending out messages that week. So we waited, and got the GP invitation two days later.

When we went they said they were having trouble getting the numbers locally as so many people had responded to the letter.

I did check where we could have gone and the nearest was an hour's drive away in three weeks' time.

We are 68 and 65 drove approximately 2 miles to the local town hall they have used one of their conference rooms. Had a text from our gp surgery within a week of the announcement for 65-69 yr olds booked online very happily had the jab DH in the morning me in the afternoon. Although I had the Astra zeneca and DH had the pzier due to me having allergic reactions. Was all very professional with a dr discussing which was best for me. Had it on 17th Feb dgs birthday! Then went to his birthday tea as we are in his childcare bubble. Now waiting to be called for the 2nd jab at the start of May.