Question for those who have had or about to have the vaccine.

25Avalon

Woodmouse49 as it is a landline have you registered for BT’s 1571 answering service? It used to be free. Not sure if it still is.

We used have it and always paid. Decided a year ago to cancel it to save some money.

Leolady73

A doctor on behalf of Drinkaware has said that we should not drink alcohol for two days before and two weeks after having the Covid vaccine as this could interfere with the immunity! Does the Government know?

That's a very good point.

My circular letter says 'You do not have to do anything - we will contact you. Do not get in touch with your GP'. It doesn't say how it will contact me. Letter, I hope because the circular at least arrived safely. Fingers crossed.......

There was a piece in our newspaper a few days ago mentioning that alcohol consumed in the days before and after the jab could render the vaccination ineffective.

I wish that fact had been mentioned more prominently.

My mum (age 76) received call from dr surgery for her & my dad (80) to attend a rugby club for their jabs 2 days later.
Allowed to be done together. Long wait but they were just happy to be done. This is Somerset

I hope my notification will be email or letter. Sometimes the diction of people who telephone me is incomprehensible to me.

I have one such saved message at present awaiting my son to translate it for me, if he can.

My mum is 96 housebound, with carers and I have been notified someone will go and give her vacc today at home. I am so pleased they have not forgotten those who are unable to go to centres.

I had a phone call before Christmas offering the vaccination two days hence with an appointment booked for the second three weeks later and I had this last Thursday. No after effects so far.

I had the Pfizer vaccine and assumed I would have to wait twelve weeks for the second, and when I asked why I was getting it in three weeks I was told me it all depended on when you had the first dose and if it was before the new rule came into force you would be treated under the old rule. All very confusing!

I am very relieved and grateful to have had it as I have serious doubts about whether there will be sufficient supplies to proceed even after twelve weeks and already there is talk of shortages.

I also wonder if, after vaccinating the entire population by the autumn, which is being suggested, the logistics will still be there to start again. We can only hope.

Surgeries are meant to be using their usual form of communication with you. My father 89 had a call from the surgery on his landline.

Aepgirl

Woodmouse how can you manage with a mobile phone that doesn’t pick up calls, and a landline that only goes to answerphone?

At our age it is important to be able to have contacts in case of emergency.

We are able to use both the landline and mobiles for emergencies. Landline when inside. Mobile when outside.

Hope the following explains our situation:

We are in a very isolated area in Cornwall and spend a huge amount of time outside the cottage unless the weather is bad (cold/wet). We have woodland to manage, we both have workshops outside and I have an extensive productive garden area. Therefore mobile always with me. In these places the signal is great.

We very rarely use the landline and nearly 100% of calls are to our mobiles. I have a recorded message on my mobile that explains our problem and I give reassurance that I get back to callers very quickly.

I'm sure the surgery will leave us a message. I'm at the surgery in a couple of weeks so will check with them what number they will contact us on.
Thanks for your advice Apegirl

Greeneyedgirl

My mum is 96 housebound, with carers and I have been notified someone will go and give her vacc today at home. I am so pleased they have not forgotten those who are unable to go to centres.

I had no problem getting to and from the surgery as I live only 20 minutes walk away, but there was a steady stream of Council mini-buses bringing those who had no other way of
getting there, so Somerset has not forgotten them.

Leolady73

A doctor on behalf of Drinkaware has said that we should not drink alcohol for two days before and two weeks after having the Covid vaccine as this could interfere with the immunity! Does the Government know?

* *Scaremongering alert* *

Not you Leolady73, but the whole "alcohol will render the vaccine ineffective" story.

The advice was for heavy drinkers in Russia. We really don't need anything else to start worrying about.

www.newscientist.com/article/2262654-should-you-avoid-alcohol-when-getting-a-coronavirus-vaccine/

sector9
Sorry I meant to say The vaccine is not a live or dead vaccine It boosts your T cells thereby helping your immune system fight the corona virus.
"How the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Works
By Jonathan Corum and Carl ZimmerUpdated Jan. 11, 2021" is a really good article to read.

JaneRn unfortunately not so simple for my mum. She has dementia, completely immobile, is totally dependent on care (should be in full time care really) so a trip in a mini bus would be quite out of the question.

What area do you live in CORNERGRAN? I want to move there. Myhusband had first shot 2 weeks ago and just had second cancelled.

Paperbackwriter

WOODMOUSE49 If you worry that you will miss a call on your landline by working outside, just dial 1471 each time you come in to see if you've missed anything.
Cornwall has been very keen to keep 'outsiders' off the premises to the point of serious hostility, which I hate, but on the upside it means you are at very low risk of infection compared with everyone else. Swings/roundabouts. I'm sure you'll get plenty of vaccine in due course.

I find this comment very offensive.

Yes , Cornwall has wanted to keep the virus out. What do you consider 'serious hostility'? There were reports of people from Tiers 3 and 4 coming here. We should just welcome them with open arms according to you.

Cornwall has the highest rise in infection now in the southwest. Ok it is not as high as the rest of England. Our cases have increased massively e.g 822% in people aged 70 to 74 and 1,032% in people aged 90 or over recently, Our only hospital has just reported they have had an increase of cases 14 times the number from just a month ago.

Our one hospital in the whole county that can take covid cases only has 12 ICU beds. We have a very stretched air ambulance service that would not cope with getting covid patients to another hospital that could take them.

There are two surgeries about 10 miles from me. One still hasn't received and started to give the vaccines.

Isle of Scilly have been successful in keeping the virus away from the Islands. People have been turned away from Penzance/Lands End airports after staff found they were from Tier 3 and 4 areas.

Quite unexpectedly had a call from our doctors surgery asking if we would like the vaccine and offering an appointment for 16th December. It was at our local medical centre, not our doctors, and was the second day they started giving them in our area. We then had a second vaccination on 6th January. Was very surprised, and pleased, to be called and to get the second injection.

My husband and I are in West Lancashire.

The unit phoned his mobile last week, for an appointment 10 miles away. While she had finished booking OH's appointment, I asked could I have an appointment at a similar time. We are both in our mid - late 70s, and the assistant agreed.

The appointments were around 8 miles away, for the next day. We were given the Pfizer vaccine and they said we would be re-contacted within 10 to 12 weeks for the booster.

My youngest son (17) was told by his consultant that he is to be added to the clinically vulnerable list- a relief for he & I as he can then study from home even when others (except clinically vulnerable) return to college, as he has several underlying health issues, but this was at beginning of december & seems to be taking a while- im so worried now that if he's not already on list he will be missed for this intake of the vaccine.

I am nervous about having the vaccine as I have a few allergies Asthma and Kidney disease I am going to have it though after thinking hard and long about it.
My sister is a Domestic at our local hospital she carries an epi pen the Dr who was giving the vaccines to the Hospital workers sent her away and told her to wait for the Astra Zeneca jab.
Yet she had a whole load of vaccinations when she went to Malawi with her Church.
I worry about her and wish she didn't have to work she will be 61 in March.

An answer to two questions-
sector nine - have heart valve problem. Had Pfizer. Arm sore-ish for two days.

I was notified by phone 2-3 days ahead. Husband and I were 40 minutes apart but were told to go in together. Just a conveyor belt system.

Seiko, I understand you will stay under observation for 15 minutes after you get the jab, It is extremely unusual for anyone to get any severe reaction after the vaccine. No animal products are in the vaccine.

I am in Israel and yesterday H and I had our second vaccination, exactly 3 weeks after the first. We are both 60+.

Today they are opening for all teachers, and for age 55+. It will go down that way over the coming weeks. People with health conditions also get priority.

All communication is handled by text message / app / website including reporting on side effects etc.
There is also a phone number to call to make appointments but it's often hard to get through.

They are strict about only taking people who have appointments, but at the end of the day if there are doses which would be thrown away, they are given to walk-ins. In this way many younger people are getting them.

I had a phone call and my first vaccination was 4 days later. I then had another call 3 weeks later - after the government had decided to delay second vaccinations - to reassure me that my appointment would be honoured. All brilliantly organised at the surgery, including waiting 15 minutes afterwards in case you had a reaction, and then home again! My only after effect was a slightly sore arm for a few days. If you get the chance, and there are no strong health reasons against, my view is that its wise go ahead and have the vaccination. Covid is not something you want to risk if you can give yourself a level of protection.

I went online to order my repeat medication from the surgery and the first thing I saw was a message which said not to phone up asking about the vaccine. We would be contacted when it's our turn.