Bureaucratic nonsense

No, I don't want my booster the day my six months is up. I just want a date and time that I can put in my diary and work round that. Other people will possibly have to arrange lifts, which can sometimes take weeks to plan, if you don't have friends and relatives on call. They managed to do it for the original jabs, so I don't really understand why it's not possible now.

PS. No, I'm not upset or being indignant. I'm slightly irritated and don't understand why the current booking system is less efficient than the original one.

That's it growstuff. The original system worked well. Don't know why is seems so fragmented for the boosters. The systems were all there. What's happened to them?

I am agog that anyone thinks it’s fine to sweep errors under the carpet! Combined with other errors, it hardly fills one with confidence.

I haven’t done anything about my booster, I’m just hoping that the letter will come through the door soon, but patience with the NHS is wearing thin when one has been waiting for twenty months for an operation for a condition which is now having a considerable effect on one’s daily life.

I fit in the group that says that the booster jab is vital to keep people well/alive, the NHS functioning as far as possible and the economy open this winter. The only way to achieve that is with an efficient booking system where the right hand knows what the left is doing.

I had particular reason to pursue this as I have changed address and medical practices and I needed to find out where I fitted in the system, given that my new practice has only just received my notes from the old one. There was a real possibility that I would simply slip through the net - so I took steps to make sure that did not happen. In doing so I opened up a can of worms and discovered a chaotic fragmented system for the booster jabs, and came across many others who felt lost in the system.

Such a system is not just frustrating to those trying to navigate it, but leaves the country vulnerable.

As far as I can see there are several ways to get the vaccine booster: via your GP, via 119, via the NHS website, via the grab-a-jab website, via walk-in centres (not available in rural areas such as round here), and via the local CCG (health authority).

The government exhorts us to get the vaccine but does not tell us how - no-one knows which of those routes applies to them or to their area. Add in the complicating factor that the time interval between second jab and booster was changed half way through the process and you have a recipe for chaos.

When I rang my GP practice I was told that they did not have any jabs to give, did not know whether they would be getting any and did not know where I should go or how I might slot into the system and get the jab.

People using the website are simply getting a message that says You Are Not Eligible, without saying why - sometimes it is because insufficient time has elapsed, but it does not say that - it leaves people thinking they are not eligible full stop, so they are lost to the attempt to cover all those who should be having it.

I am the first person to be glad that the vaccine is there and that I can have it for free. But we do a disservice to all the brilliant scientists who developed the vaccines if we cannot establish an efficient system for getting them into the arms of those who should be having it.

From the threads above, I agree the system is a mess however I have not quite reached the 190 days eligibility but was able to go on line earlier this evening & have an appt for next week. The website was really easy to use.
I am in the West Country so maybe there’s less pressure on booster resources down here?

Nonogran

From the threads above, I agree the system is a mess however I have not quite reached the 190 days eligibility but was able to go on line earlier this evening & have an appt for next week. The website was really easy to use.
I am in the West Country so maybe there’s less pressure on booster resources down here?

Would you mind saying which website it was?

Gold star to our rural GP practice which battled to get the Pfizer boosters and then did a brilliant day of oldies. We were telephoned to make the appointment and had our flu jabs at the same time. I would think the proportion of over 70s who have had their booster jab is pretty high here.

That is good to hear.

The problem is that people do not know whether to wait for a phone call or letter from their GP practice because they do not know where arranging their vaccine is going to come from.

When I had my first vaccine at a centre in town (in response to a letter from the NHS), I was sitting in the car park ready to go in and had a call from the surgery on my mobile to say I was supposed to go there for it on a different day - I said that I would stick with where I was - a bird in the hand and all that!

I got a letter from the NHS telling me to make an appt. either with my surgery or at a walk-in centre. This was last Saturday and I went that afternoon. They’re trying their best but you need to be patient.

I can't even get an appointment for my flu jab, I really don't know what you're moaning about tbh!!

I am really struggling to book my booster, I’m over 60, had my 2nd jab 6 months ago yet coming up on system as not eligible !!

Well written, first and second comment. First world problem indeed!

Below is from NHS website. 30 weeks would be 210 days rather more than 190 days. Unless I've misunderstood something, can't see how OP is trying to queue jump.

Having experienced total efficiency with my first two Covid jabs getting my booster was far from straightforward. Mobile drop in unit was advertised to be near my home on Sunday morning 9 - 1. I was eligible for booster so went along at 9.30, van hadn’t arrived so went back home and returned at 11. Van had arrived but vaccine had run out so couldn’t vaccinate any more people. I made appointment yesterday afternoon at venue for booster. Very long queues, mainly outside, cold , pouring with rain and windy. Waited in queue for over an hour along with a lot of very elderly and infirm people. It was awful.
The only good thing about it was that people were so keen to be vaccinated but very annoying to hear on news that people are not coming forward for boosters.

I totally agree with you luckygirl, absolute bonkers. Don't worry about Alegrias1 and her opinions. You say white and she will automatically say black.

I was told (havent read anything myself), that Kate Bingham has been recalled to take over the booster vaccine roll out.
As she did such a good job previously.

I was ringing 911 all day, and getting annoyed.
Only to remember it's 119! Idiot! I've watched too much American tv

I live in Scotland and there is a lot of confusion amongst friends as to what is happening. I am due my booster and have received no letter, nor has my partner who is 78. I phoned for an appointment and was told I should have been offered it at the same time as I got the flu vaccine? Fortunately, I was given an appointment for both of us. A friend phoned for an appointment and was told her letter had been sent out on 30th September. She did not receive it. If she had not phoned she would be waiting on a letter that would never come, as it is assumed if you don’t turn up, that you don’t want it. I am all for people taking things into their own hands and phoning for appointment if they are due.

There must be a particular reason why the booster has been advised to be given after 6 months, surely ?
The call handler would have been trained in a certain way and there usually is little flexibility in what they can do around that - can you imagine what would happen if thousands of people all decided that they wanted treatment or vaccinations when it was convenient to them?
It's not bureaucracy, it's the most efficient way of being able to track when the population has been vaccinated.
Did you enquire at one of the walk in pharmacies that should be in your area if they could provide the booster before your trip ?

Susysue

I totally agree with you luckygirl, absolute bonkers. Don't worry about Alegrias1 and her opinions. You say white and she will automatically say black.

No I won't.

jaylucy

There must be a particular reason why the booster has been advised to be given after 6 months, surely ?
The call handler would have been trained in a certain way and there usually is little flexibility in what they can do around that - can you imagine what would happen if thousands of people all decided that they wanted treatment or vaccinations when it was convenient to them?
It's not bureaucracy, it's the most efficient way of being able to track when the population has been vaccinated.
Did you enquire at one of the walk in pharmacies that should be in your area if they could provide the booster before your trip ?

Away you go jaylucy with your common sense, that's not what we're here to talk about!

Janet Street Porter on Loose Women said she’d just walked into a vaccine centre and had the booster done then and there, as on line it said she wasn’t due.

Susysue??

Coconut

Janet Street Porter on Loose Women said she’d just walked into a vaccine centre and had the booster done then and there, as on line it said she wasn’t due.

So she jumped the queue then?

How awful.

I went to a walk in yesterday I was 182 days and the notice outside said on or before 27th April for 2nd jab. I was right on the 182 day. I couldn't book online with this silly 6months and 1 week! Even though my husband is classed as CEV as he is having intravenous chemo. He had his jab earlier as the oncologist wanted him to before starting chemo. Even with a letter them having an email and a appointment the peaked hat syndrome kicked in and the woman administering the jab kept insisting he was too early! Took more than a 30mins 'discussion' to get it done. I was ready to wrestle the needle off her and give it to him myself!

30 weeks must be more than six calendar months...