Booster vaccination

It’s crazy, Marydoll. Everyone in her town is having to travel to a centre 20 miles away for flu and boosters! It’s not a particularly wealthy area so many people don’t have cars and there are also lots of older people without transport. There are two modern surgeries, a new minor injures unit, a new school and community campus etc but they’re not using any of those facilities. ?‍♀️

I’m visiting my mum tomorrow so I may be able to find out more of what’s going on.

Missedout

*MayBee70*, I used Testing for All www.testingforall.org/
for my last antibody test. It is important to select the right test - it is the Covid spike protein test that is required to check for antibodies. There are many companies offering this service. Ironically, a couple of weeks after paying £49.00 for my first test, I was tested as part of a trial - both tests showed that I hadn't produced any antibodies. Hence my interest in checking a few weeks after my 3rd primary dose of Pfizer.

I have my fingers crossed that I may have antibodies but am not hopeful.

My daughter was in a trial and did the test that showed that she’d had covid. But she’d messed up the test a bit and it was very faint. So she paid to have another test a few weeks later that didn’t show up any antibodies at all so she still doesn’t really know what her immune status is. She was quite poorly with a virus of some kind early in 2019 but no one else in the family caught it.Luckily for us we hadn’t visited her during that time. Also the first virus was less transmissible. She’s obviously had both vaccines and would like to have taken part in another clinical trial that was offered but didn’t want to have to travel to the next town to do it.

Sue, a few weeks ago, people, who are in their seventies, (some quite frail) in my suburban area of Glasgow, were offered their vaccination in Port Glasgow, twenty three miles away! Most of them don't drive and it involved a bus trip to Paisley, then a train journey.

We have both a sports centre and huge health centre, which have been doing vaccinations, seven days a week, throughout the pandemic. That's now stopped.

Many of the people are not computer literate and hadn't a clue how to find an alternative venue. One man I know, spent two days trying to get through on the phone.
As I have said, it's a shambles. Despite shielding, my healthy, younger friends were vaccinated before me!

I am appalled and hope you get it sorted.

Easy booking for me. I went on the Booster website, had a choice of dates, times and venues. Booked for dh and myself for Saturday morning at 9 o’clock.

There's something about the word "shambles" that makes my hackles rise. SueDonim's Mum's experience, and the people being sent to Port Glasgow, are undoubtedly examples of things going really wrong.

But with no exaggeration, nobody I know personally in any part of Scotland has had any problem at all with getting their boosters. My parents and all their friends, my friends, family and my DH. Expecting my letter in about 10 days, on target.

"Shambles" suggests chaos, no organisation at all. Honestly, it's not a shambles.

Shambles is I word I will not withdraw. I know lots of people in my situation, who have been left to sort things out. Thank goodness I am able to read the research and fight my corner, many aren't.

With all due respect, Alegrias, many of those who were shielding and immunocompromised into the bargain, have had to make numerous phone calls to various bodies and still get no help, having been passed from pillar to post and running round and round in circles and despairing of finding anyone to help us.

Your hackles may be rising, but I can assure you no-one's hackles are rising as much as mine. By the way, the practitioners, who look after me, have agreed we have been the treated badly.

Initially the JVC omitted to inform GPs that a third primary vaccination should have been done EIGHT weeks after the second for some patients.
It's now over six months since my secondary one.

Just count your blessings that you and your friends got their letter at the appropriate time. You have absolutely no conception of what is happening for some groups in the population.

I am not trying at all to downplay the problems encountered by people during this vaccine campaign. I'm not averse to complaining about medical treatment and have had long involvements with the Ombudsman in the past when my personal treatment was not acceptable. Nothing to do with Covid, this was years ago.

But I won't just sit here do nothing when I read how the system is a shambles, when it's patently not.

Sorry,, but agree with Marydoll, it sounds shambolic.

I respectfully disagree.

A shambles is a place, situation, or other thing that's in complete disorder. When shambles refers to a place, it typically indicates that it's a mess or, more seriously, that it's a scene of destruction, wreckage, or even carnage. When it refers to a situation, it indicates that it has fallen into chaos.

I will amend my comment. As long as you are reasonably healthy, it works.
Regarding the those who are immunocompromised, the system has been shambolic for those who are the most vulnerable in our society. I recently saw an interview with a Scottish GP, saying exactly what I am saying. His mother was in her nineties and still hadn't had a booster. After meeting brick wall after brick wall, he eventually was able to bypass the system and organise it. Many of us don't have that option.

There has been no information, nor advice, sent too the immunocompromised about the difference between a third primary vaccine and a booster.
Some people have already been given a booster in error, as they were unaware that at their appointment, they had to advise staff that they were immunocompromised.
My consultant has advised me that under no circumstances should I accept a booster.

Dare I say hysterically, they are hoping we will just go away and die quietly , without making a fuss, as we are a huge burden on the NHS.
I was told if I caught Covid, I would certainly die. It would be a waste of time, sending me to ICU and a DNR note would be put on file. Try living with that for eighteen months and seeing your younger reasonably healthy friends being vaccinated weeks before you.

Alegrias, you do not know the experience of every person in Scotland, nor their circumstances., unless of course, you have either spoken to them or even more concerning, you have access to our medical records!

Alegrias, you do not know the experience of every person in Scotland, nor their circumstances., unless of course, you have either spoken to them or even more concerning, you have access to our medical records!

No of course not Marydoll. But it is my experience that everyone I know, and all their families, have had no problems whatsoever. Not all of them are in the first flush of youth, many of them have chronic health problems and at least one is immunocompromised. So I can only speak from experience, as you are doing.

The mistakes will get the airtime, the things that work fine will not.

I just think its unfair to say that the system is in a shambles when its not. I'll not say any more.

Actually - two are immunocompromised, I just thought of another one.

We will just beg to differ, Alegrias. You are entitled to your views, as I am mine.

By the way, thanks for the definition. However, I do not need a lesson in English language. I have a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. In my opinion, I have used the word appropriately, as that is my perception.

I am asking you to respect my views and try to understand what it is like to experience this. As I said, unless you have experienced this personally, you are not qualified to dismiss my views, nor opinion..
I do not intend to engage with you further. it's a complete waste of my time and yours.

I do respect your views Marydoll and I'm not in any way suggesting that you haven't had problems. This is not meant to be a criticism of you in any way.

There is a lot of criticism of the vaccine program around just now and we seem to have forgotten what a massive undertaking this is. And, sorry to bring this up again, how blooming lucky we are to have a vaccine at all. There are going to be issues with it. But I'm happy with how its going.

My son’s career involves a background in hospital and patient safety, in he has been working for more than fifteen years. The issues that people such as myself and Marydoll are highlighting are actually red flag problems that something more serious lies in wait down the line unless action is taken now.

Alegrias’s assertion that everyone she know has had boosters with no problem (for which I’m very pleased, of course) is also a warning signal. It’s a denial that there are problems, again an alarm being sounded.

Mary doll. After DrJohns blog last night a Q&A popped up on utube with two American doctors.. people were firing questions at them left right and centre and their knowledge was incredible. Many of the callers were immune suppressed etc and were asking which was the best vaccine to have, what time scale to have them etc. I tried to remember your query as I didn’t want to move away from the blog for fear of not finding it again. He did say that nothing was certain and that they were just feeling their way through the best way to vaccinate people. His name was DrDaniel Griffin. I was too tired to listen to all of it but might listen to it again today. Of course it was more about how they’re doing things in America but it still applies to here. People with various illnesses syndromes etc were phoning in, people that had had adverse reactions to their previous vaccine. I’ll try to do a link with my upstairs computer if I can.

Is there a difference in strength between the primary third vaccine for the immunosuppressed and the booster?
I ask because it appears those with compromised immune systems have been told not to have the booster instead of the third primary vaccine.

Maybe though it’s just to avoid confusion as some people will require four vaccine doses rather than the three which the majority will have.

There is difference, JEccles otherwise we would be getting a booster, not a third primary dose, followed by at least one booster.

Alegrias’s assertion that everyone she know has had boosters with no problem (for which I’m very pleased, of course) is also a warning signal. It’s a denial that there are problems, again an alarm being sounded.

No, its not, its a statement of fact. Nobody's denying the state of the NHS. Underfunded, overstretched and probably mismanaged. But saying something's a shambles when its not? Adding to the voices suggesting that the vaccine rollout isn't going well? Well, I don't believe, from personal experience, that this is the case. Your personal experience might be different. They are both equally valid.

Alegrias. Please back off. Marydoll has enough health problems without out you having a go at her about petty things.

MayBee70.

I'm having a go at nobody. I've said that I don't doubt that Marydoll or SueDonim's family have had problems. I've said that everybody's experience is equally valid.

Perhaps if you feel the need to monitor the thread you could tell people to stop telling me I'm in denial just for giving my side of the story?

Good news. There is a new drug called Molnupiravir that will treat symptomatic coronavirus if taken within 5 days. It is in pill form, to be taken twice a day, and interferes with an enzyme in the virus so it cannot reproduce itself in the body. It will be used to treat the vulnerable. Marydoll and others I hope this is going to help you and offer some reassurance.

Those with weakened immune systems are being offered a THIRD primary COVID-19 vaccination instead of just two doses.

The third vaccination is NOT the same as a booster.

It is a top up because while the first two doses will have offered some protection, they may not have generated a full immune response as they do in those who do not have weakened immune systems.

The source is Swansea University. The Scottish and Welsh NHS sights have this information. I'm using my phone( which is difficult for me) so trying to keep it brief.

Alegrias1

*MayBee70*.

I'm having a go at nobody. I've said that I don't doubt that Marydoll or SueDonim's family have had problems. I've said that everybody's experience is equally valid.

Perhaps if you feel the need to monitor the thread you could tell people to stop telling me I'm in denial just for giving my side of the story?

?????

Alegrias1

^Alegrias’s assertion that everyone she know has had boosters with no problem (for which I’m very pleased, of course) is also a warning signal. It’s a denial that there are problems, again an alarm being sounded.^

No, its not, its a statement of fact. Nobody's denying the state of the NHS. Underfunded, overstretched and probably mismanaged. But saying something's a shambles when its not? Adding to the voices suggesting that the vaccine rollout isn't going well? Well, I don't believe, from personal experience, that this is the case. Your personal experience might be different. They are both equally valid.

But if even some people are having problems accessing their vaccines, it is an indication that the programme isn't going as well as it should.