Bureaucratic nonsense

There's no 6 month requirement here in Ireland.
My friend (51) was given a booster jab appt for last weekend and she only had her second Pfizer jab 3.5 months before that.
Here it’s being organised through the hospital consultants lists for people over 50 who are classed as medically vulnerable. My DH should get an appt. but he’s not heard anything yet as he’s under a different medical dept. to my friend.

I don’t understand why you need to ring anyone. I went on the NHS website on Saturday and was told I wasn’t eligible. When I tried again yesterday I’d become eligible so made an appointment nearby for today as did my husband who had his second vaccination at the same time as me. The part of the system that does seem to be inefficient is notification. I got an email this morning saying I am now eligible to book but my husband hasn’t received one. Anyone who doesn’t realise that, as long as you’re eligible you can go ahead and book without waiting for notification, is disadvantaged by the inefficient system.

Seriously, although I appear to be public enemy number one...

If you want to book your vaccine before the system says you are due, you are clearly able to do it in some areas. Which means that the people without your wherewithal are sitting at home relying on a slot coming up and being notified in a managed manner by the system. so you are using up the slot that could have gone to someone further up the priority list.

Now you might think you are eligible and so its your right, but several million people were "eligible" the moment booster jabs started, and since no system can cope with vaccinating several million people in one day, we have to wait our turn. And most of us will.

And some of us will be telling everybody about the missing letter, the misdirected individual, the angry pharmacist. While millions and millions will not be getting on the internet to complain, they will just be getting their jags and saying "thank you".

Well I rang and got an appointment. I was eligible. I didn’t feel I was jumping the queue by ringing instead of waiting for a letter.

Oopsadaisy1

Mr Oops had a text message last week about booking the Covid Booster, when he tried they said that he wasn’t eligible.
Why contact him then?

My husband had the same problem. He had a text saying he was vulnerable and should book his booster but the Website said he wasn't eligible. He phoned and was told there was a problem with the site and they booked him in for a couple of days later. Problem solved

My DH had his text today. We had worked it out to be about now. He went online and got an appointment for Monday at the doctors surgery and a confirmation email came back straightaway. Absolutely no problem at all. I think it depends where you live.

There has to be a fixed programme or else the whole system falls.
Having worked in various “bureaus” I can honestly say that most accusations of “bureaucratic nonsense” were from people who simply didn’t like/agree with the rules/system as for some reason it didn’t personally suit.
Without a strict system, chaos ensues. Relaxing/bending rules causes problems elsewhere or for someone else.
Not affecting me as I’m definitely not travelling, mixing with crowds or going maskless. I’ll happily wait my turn and go out next year when it’s safer.

I agree Lucky Girl. Our local vaccination centre does walk in booster jabs but only after 6 months and 1 week. I don’t think it’s a question of “queue jumping” as there is no shortage of vaccines but if the government want people to have boosters (so they can avoid taking decisions on other fairly minor mitigation’s such as masks) it should be easy. Even though I am on immunosuppressant medication I could not get my booster early so reluctantly have now stopped going to concerts, cinema and restaurants etc.

Alegrias1

Too early to book an appointment, everybody else would be too early too, but because I want mine earlier you should make an exception?

Nah, not on really.

I’ve seen so many threads accusing people of being irresponsible to question having the jab at all and now here we are criticising someone who’s actually thinking ahead to try to be responsible.the risks. The OP wants to be safe and as protected as possible before she goes away - and after all, the jabs are supposed to be there to protect us all aren’t they ? So criticising the motivation as ‘queue jumping’ isn’t helpful.

And incidentally I’ve just had my booster vaccination - by invitation, and it was actually two weeks short of six months since my second jab.

Pippa22

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.

That is exactly what I want to avoid by going to a drop-in centre. As explained, I work on a Saturday, which is the only day my local drop-in centre is currently operating and I just can't afford to lose the money. I like to plan two or three weeks in advance and would just like to know what's going on. If I could book an appointment, I wouldn't be taking anybody else's slot.

I'd be interested to know how some people how some people seem to be booking while others can't. Which site are they using?

I found it very frustrating trying to make and appointment, which I tried to do after 6 months, having just had a letter telling me I'm extremely vulnerable. I phoned 119 - I was told I have to be 6 months and 1 week, I said it is probably that, 'well' he said, it is 6 months, 1 week and 2 days'!! Talk about dangly a carrot in front of my nose! My notification eventually came and i tried again. 30th October? No I want it sooner. I phoned on Monday Morning, my preferred site 19th November, but if you don't mind travelling 5 miles you can have it tomorrow!! So I did. I had it yesterday and have a sore arm to prove it!!

CleoPanda

There has to be a fixed programme or else the whole system falls.
Having worked in various “bureaus” I can honestly say that most accusations of “bureaucratic nonsense” were from people who simply didn’t like/agree with the rules/system as for some reason it didn’t personally suit.
Without a strict system, chaos ensues. Relaxing/bending rules causes problems elsewhere or for someone else.
Not affecting me as I’m definitely not travelling, mixing with crowds or going maskless. I’ll happily wait my turn and go out next year when it’s safer.

But it would appear there isn't a strict system. That's the point. It seems it's really difficult to find out what system is operating.

I work in a GP surgery on the admin side. Apart from the six months issue, I think there must be problems with the supply chain as although we have a provisional date for a clinic, we can't as yet put appointments on the computer system until the delivery is confirmed. When it was all kicking off with the inital vaccinations we sometimes got a couple of days notice that Pfizer was on the way! It can be a huge logistical/admin nightmare!

Pammie1 I’ve seen so many threads accusing people of being irresponsible to question having the jab at all and now here we are criticising someone who’s actually thinking ahead to try to be responsible.

But it's not that is it? Medically it doesn't really matter if it's exactly six months. A month early, a month late will make no difference. But what we have is someone wasting the "girl's" (I know that was not OP’s terminology but it crept in) time by arguing that the rules, clearly posted on the government website, don’t apply to them.

No I want it sooner. ?

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 ?

How is it the most efficient way to track when the population has been vaccinated?

There must be a central database with all our National Health numbers. I'm not asking to jump any queue and be vaccinated before I'm eligible. I just want to have an advance date and time, as I did for the original vaccine.

Perhaps the IT system doesn’t allow a booking to be made till the relevant time has passed.

Sassieannie

I work in a GP surgery on the admin side. Apart from the six months issue, I think there must be problems with the supply chain as although we have a provisional date for a clinic, we can't as yet put appointments on the computer system until the delivery is confirmed. When it was all kicking off with the inital vaccinations we sometimes got a couple of days notice that Pfizer was on the way! It can be a huge logistical/admin nightmare!

That makes some sense of it.

My local GP surgery is having nothing to do with bookings. There's a huge notice on their website that they won't talk to anybody about vaccinations.

Tish

Perhaps the IT system doesn’t allow a booking to be made till the relevant time has passed.

But it did for the original doses.

I booked mine online the other day - it was exactly 6 (calendar) months since my 2nd jab. No problem - I was given a choice of venues/dates, and had it the following day.,

I wasn’t going to wait for an official summons, since the GP surgery somehow forgot me for the 2nd jab. (Booked that myself too.). We do one-off childcare fairly often, and dd was getting anxious, since there’s quite a bit of COVID going around Gdcs’ primary school.

Scotland is doing it as 170 days from last jab now, but as you can’t book on website ( not for boosters anyway ) for some reason they are not doing that till mid November I just took my letter for flu jab to centre said my last covid date and got it even though I had to cancel flu jab as away and just went to chemist to get that instead.

I was contacted as to when to go and get my booster and then I went. I can't see what all the fuss is about!

Luckygirl, I am in agreement with you. If you are eligible from the Thursday, how is it you cant ask for the appointment from the Friday. And how is it the NHS, can give us appointments ahead for heart, diabetes, or any other ailment we have. Even flu jabs are booked in advance. You are not jumping the queue, just stating the obvious. Its completely daft and the dental helpline is similar.

I had the same, 6 months 2 days for me. 119 turned me away so I went to a walk-in centre and they did it no problem. It's not denying anyone there is plenty for everyone and the walkins work like clockwork, in and out quickly.

On the front page of Mail on Sunday it stated that the Health Minister has instructed the NHS to give boosters after FIVE months to get the programme rolled out quicker.