Booster vaccination

Maggiemaybe, I got the NHS text to book my booster - but found that no appointments were available anywhere. I tried every day for a week before, eventually, I was 'lucky' and able to book one. Yes, I moaned at all the TV reminders to 'get your booster' - and the leaflet though the door.

There wasn't any choice of venue or much choice of time, yet still I felt so lucky. I'm not surprised that people are frustrated by the system.

Baggs

Shinamae

I’ve had Covid twice, two vaccinations, and then my booster, no problems at all

Shinamae, may I ask if you were ill when you "had covid twice" or did you have positive test results but few or no symptoms? (I hope the latter).

If I hadn’t of had positive test results I would not of known that I had Covid…twice….

Pittcity

In North Essex you can go to the walk in pop ups with no appointment if you are eligible for your booster. I understand that there are queues!

Even though I had booked an appointment online, there was still a long queue at the centre - outside in the cold. We were joking that we’d all get pneumonia - I was glad of my nice warm coat!
My appt. was for 2.25, finally had the jab at just after 3. And we’d all booked appts. They must have been short of a ‘jabber’.

Marydoll

Hopefully this will clarify. Sorry I can't make it any clearer.

Now, I like to think I'm about as well informed as the next person but I went yesterday for my booster (booked via appointment text from my GP) and was told I was getting the third vaccine (also on meds that reduce my immune system). And informed my "booster" would be in 6 months time. I had no idea there was a third vaccine!

Just had my booster which was six months after my second vaccine.This was booked for me and carried out at a health center where my local surgery send all their patients, with exception to the flu booster, which is carried out at the surgery.

LondonMzFitz

Marydoll

Hopefully this will clarify. Sorry I can't make it any clearer.

Now, I like to think I'm about as well informed as the next person but I went yesterday for my booster (booked via appointment text from my GP) and was told I was getting the third vaccine (also on meds that reduce my immune system). And informed my "booster" would be in 6 months time. I had no idea there was a third vaccine!

Glad to hear that you are sorted.

DH and I both received our letter with an appointment for booster/flu vaccination at the same local venue in Glasgow shortly before it being 6 months since our second vaccination.

It's alarming to see the variation in the provision of boosters. For a start, the NHS has a record of all our first and second doses and in my case, I had a NHS text to telling that the six months period was up and giving a selection of sites to go to - the closest about five miles away. However, a day or two later, I had a text from my own practice asking me to make an appointment at our Civic Hall which was much more convenient - in and out in ten minutes.

Our GP surgery was not involved in the earlier Covid jabs, nor the booster. We both had letters inviting us to book online or by phone for a community centre, a few miles away but easy to-reach and to park. It was very efficient. Unfortunately they are not doing the boosters there.
I was getting worried at not hearing anything, then I read online that it had to be at least 189 days after your second jab, and yesterday my letter of invitation arrived, bang on time.

I went online and there were lots of places to choose from, but most were 9-10 miles away, and I would need to drive through the city and out, which I don’t fancy. Then I found one at a college campus, in the country, an easy drive, plenty of parking. They are only doing weekend slots so there won’t be students around. Ideal.

325,140 booster jabs were administered in the UK on Saturday alone. Considering that the race is still on to vaccinate the 12 to 15 year olds and those in older age groups who still, for whatever reason, haven’t had their first or second jab, I think this is a remarkable effort.

I am so lucky because my local pharmacy, 10 minutes walk away, gives flu jabs each year and this year added the booster vaccine. I did not have mine done at the same time in case I had a reaction but I am now sorted for a repeat performance in a year's time.

My COVID booster jab is 6 months and 1 week after 2nd jab.
The booster will be a Pfizer injection,even though my first two were Astra Zenica .. why are things never straight forward?!
However,on a lighter note,when I phoned 119 a few weeks ago to ask about the booster the person told me that it wasn’t time for me to have it and that I was ILLEGIBLE?!!

18 November

I got a GP text asking me to ring for my appointment for my booster when I got through first she said no apps available but then said we can't make apps till we're sure we'll have the vaccine!! Not sure why the text if they weren't sure. She took my name and said we'll let you know. So i went on the NHS site and found an app for Saturday on a very local to me church hall. It certainly as well organised as the first two jabs.

Maggiemaybe

325,140 booster jabs were administered in the UK on Saturday alone. Considering that the race is still on to vaccinate the 12 to 15 year olds and those in older age groups who still, for whatever reason, haven’t had their first or second jab, I think this is a remarkable effort.

But there shouldn’t be a race on to vaccinate 12-15 year olds. They should have been vaccinated before going back to school which is what other countries have done. Then we wouldn’t have had the high infection rate we have now. This is what annoys me. Reactivity yet again not proactivity.

Our scientists thought differently. Whatever my opinion on the matter is, is irrelevant. I prefer to defer to the experts.

I had my booster yesterday with my daughter at the same chemist venue, five minutes apart. We booked ourselves in as soon as the 6 months was up all went well there was a steady stream of appointments no one seemed to miss their appointment
Neither of us have any ill effects
I’ve had all three now and my flu jab so I m all fully ‘done’ for the year

I have just watched the Zoe webinar on being immunosuppressed and how effective the vaccine has been for those people.
It was very informative, but has left me feeling even more vulnerable.
The difference between a third vaccine and and a booster was clearly explained. The third vaccine is deemed a primary vaccine, whereas a booster is what it says it is. There is a clear difference between them.
Those receiving a third vaccine require a booster in six months time, those receiving a booster do not require a further vaccination.

What was really concerning is research has shown that the Astra Zenica vaccine is not as effective as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in the immunocompromised. Anyone like me, who received two doses of the Astra Zenica, will require a different vaccine. Everyone has a different response, but in some cases it was only 40% effective.
To add to that, my condition itself and the medication I take, makes me even more vulnerable. I'm seriously considering becoming a hermit!!!!

Apparently when the JVC committee issued the advice about the third vaccine in September, GPs were not initially informed. Hence all the confusion and some patients receiving a booster instead of a third primary vaccine.

However, if you have had Covid and also two vaccinations, you are in a better postion, than those who have only had two vaccines!

Maggiemaybe

Our scientists thought differently. Whatever my opinion on the matter is, is irrelevant. I prefer to defer to the experts.

They didn’t say they shouldn’t be vaccinated, just that there wasn’t a huge benefit in vaccinating them. However, the fact that the infection ran riot through schools when they reopened with no masks or social distancing in place either resulting in schools having to cancel classes, children (eg my grandson) catching covid before they could be vaccinated and then passing it on to their parents and grandchildren proves, imo that they should have been vaccinated before returning to school. To be fair to the government they did ignore the scientists and went ahead with vaccinating 12 year olds but it was too late to stop the escalating infection rate. As usual it was too little, too late which has been a repeating pattern throughout the pandemic.

The government did not ignore the scientists. They did exactly what the scientists recommended.

We have just had our letters - flu and Covid boosters - 65 both of us. I already had flu as the nurse gave me it when I took my Mum.

Has anyone who had AZ for their first and second vaccine jabs and had Pfizer for the booster had an unpleasant reaction? Apart from a slightly sore arm I did not have any problems with AZ. I had the Pfizer booster yesterday and this morning I woke to feel completely washed out. Freezing cold body and a burning face, a bit nauseous and so tired. Not like me at all. Hopefully, it will be very shortlived.

I had AZ for first two and Pfizer yesterday morning arms sore but no side effects I feel fine.

Thankfully, the CMOs did overrule the JCVI's recommendations regarding 12-15 year olds. Some of the JCVI minutes have been published recently and they make interesting reading. The "experts" really didn't want to vaccinate 12-15 year olds. Some of them even thought it would be a good thing if they are infected and carried that infection back to their families.

Between June and September, there weren't enough Pfizer vaccines in the country to vaccinate 12-15 year olds and all the adults who hadn't been vaccinated, which is why it's a mystery that the UK sold Pfizer vaccines to Australia.

It's not clear whether the JCVI was trying to cover up the shortage. Some of them (eg sociologist Professor Dingwall) were advocating allowing as many people as possible to be infected, so believed in a "let it rip" herd immunity approach. There have been suspicions that this was the intention, but the publication of the minutes makes it clear that it actually was.

Thankfully, the CMOs did overrule the JCVI's recommendations regarding 12-15 year olds. Some of the JCVI minutes have been published recently and they make interesting reading. The "experts" really didn't want to vaccinate 12-15 year olds. Some of them even thought it would be a good thing if they are infected and carried that infection back to their families.

Between June and September, there weren't enough Pfizer vaccines in the country to vaccinate 12-15 year olds and all the adults who hadn't been vaccinated, which is why it's a mystery that the UK sold Pfizer vaccines to Australia.

It's not clear whether the JCVI was trying to cover up the shortage. Some of them (eg sociologist Professor Dingwall) were advocating allowing as many people as possible to be infected, so believed in a "let it rip" herd immunity approach. There have been suspicions that this was the intention, but the publication of the minutes makes it clear that it actually was.