Bureaucratic nonsense

Sorry, but I’m fed up of the complains. We’re lucky in this country to have been vaccinated twice and offered a third booster jab. They are many in this world who haven’t been able to access a first jab. I’m fed up of constant complaining. No doubt I’d better take cover now because the already well off don’t know how well off they are!

I agree with you, maddyone, Alegrias and others who've made similar points.

325,140 booster doses were administered on Saturday alone in the UK. 325,140! This at a time when the race is still on to give vaccines to 12 to 15 year olds, and to catch up with those people who, for one reason or another, haven't had their first or second jab yet. It's a remarkable achievement. Of course there are going to be glitches in such a huge undertaking, but we really should take a step back and acknowledge the great work that's being done. And how lucky we are!

maddyone

Sorry, but I’m fed up of the complains. We’re lucky in this country to have been vaccinated twice and offered a third booster jab. They are many in this world who haven’t been able to access a first jab. I’m fed up of constant complaining. No doubt I’d better take cover now because the already well off don’t know how well off they are!

So maybe you could explain why the roll out of the booster jabs is less efficient than the original vaccinations. Curious!

Fed up of people telling me how well off I am!

Maggiemaybe

I agree with you, maddyone, Alegrias and others who've made similar points.

325,140 booster doses were administered on Saturday alone in the UK. 325,140! This at a time when the race is still on to give vaccines to 12 to 15 year olds, and to catch up with those people who, for one reason or another, haven't had their first or second jab yet. It's a remarkable achievement. Of course there are going to be glitches in such a huge undertaking, but we really should take a step back and acknowledge the great work that's being done. And how lucky we are!

Fantastic work was done with the original programme. Why isn't it being replicated? Simple question.

Why is it up to me to explain what you call an ‘inefficient’ vaccination programme? Fact is, it isn’t up to me to explain. It’s up to other people, such as yourself growstuff to recognise that we are extremely privileged to be being offered a booster vaccine. There are millions of people in this world who haven’t even been offered a first vaccine. We are privileged to have the vaccination programme that we have in this country. Have you no thankfulness for the excellent vaccination programme and for the fact that you live in a first world country that is able to offer you a booster vaccination? No?

A case of rose tinted spectacles there, I think growstuff.

The graph is from the government site. Average number of daily doses administered at the moment, about 382,000 and rising. Average number of daily doses administered for the first couple of months of the original program? About 400,000. So hardly an abject failure.

And if I recall Gransnet was full of threads bemoaning how bad the rollout was in particular areas, how someone's Auntie Jeannie hadn't had their first dose while Johnny down the road had, how people had been sent to the wrong location; and remember the queuing outside Plymouth Argyle football club?

As someone upthread said, when the rules don't match your particular set of circumstances, you feel let down. Most people are doing just fine though.

Oh yes, my daughter was involved in the organisation of the original vaccination programme in the South Eastern corridor. Maybe it’s because she’s no longer organising things growstuff. Well if patients hadn’t been so rude to her and others in her surgery she may still have been here instead of in New Zealand.

Good post Alegrias.

I'm not highlighting or picking on anyone in particular but I like a bit of evidence...

www.gransnet.com/forums/coronavirus/1293283-Twelve-weeks-on-Mum-still-hasnt-been-called-for-second-jab?pg=2

Fantastic work was done with the original programme. Why isn't it being replicated? Simple question.

Simple answer. It is.

If this has been said before apologies. One of the things about the booster jab is that it is pfizer. It needs to be kept at very low temperatures. This meant that there were some vaccine centres that were unsuitable for its use. Add to that the standing down of some of the volunteers who kept the large centres going and yu have a system tring to accommodate the same number of people with less space and help. It's not possible.

Thanks trisher. That could explain what's going on. Why didn't the NHS just be honest and say there might be some problems and delays, but hang on, we've got plenty and you'll all be vaccinated? Rather than treating us like mindless zombies who shouldn't question anything and should be grateful we don't live in Timbuctoo.

Maggiemaybe

^Fantastic work was done with the original programme. Why isn't it being replicated? Simple question.^

Simple answer. It is.

No, it most certainly isn't.

With the original programme I was able to book both doses weeks in advance on a day and time which was convenient. The roll out was a remarkable achievement and I'm not being told by a random person that it's the same this time when it quite clearly isn't.

Trisha's post offers an explanation, as does the earlier one posted by somebody who works in a GP surgery.

growstuff

With the original programme I was able to book both doses weeks in advance on a day and time which was convenient. The roll out was a remarkable achievement and I'm not being told by a random person that it's the same this time when it quite clearly isn't.

Trisha's post offers an explanation, as does the earlier one posted by somebody who works in a GP surgery.

Not keen on the evidence presented then? Rather rely on your own experience?

Okey dokey.

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.

AlegriasI I think you're misunderstanding what the OP is saying. She is eligible for the booster but they won't book until Thursday as the NHS is working on calendar months not actual months. why they can't sort the appointment out while she is on the phone and it's only a couple of days out I don't know!

Following being urged by the government decree of all over 55's (who would not have to wait exactly 6 months and one week) to get a booster ...I tried ......I have the appropriate underlying health conditions but was told I am not eligible ...also heard on TB thousands of others are having this problem .....someone aged under 50 who I know has had a third jab, by going to a walk in centre .........so I tried this, only to be told again I am not eligible .....so, once again, the government says it is irresponsible not to have your third jab whereas in reality it is IMPOSSIBLE to do so !

growstuff

Thanks trisher. That could explain what's going on. Why didn't the NHS just be honest and say there might be some problems and delays, but hang on, we've got plenty and you'll all be vaccinated? Rather than treating us like mindless zombies who shouldn't question anything and should be grateful we don't live in Timbuctoo.

I think the OP vividly illusrates why they didn't say. Can you imagine how many people would have tried to get themselves pushed up the ladder if they thought it might not work so well? Or attempt to book their jab well in advance so they didn't miss out.

Magarithea thank you for trying to explain but I think I do understand.

OP told us that she wanted her booster because she was going away and going to a concert. Now I don't know whether she is eligible or not because this thread is full of discussions about what "six months" means. But I do know that she hadn't been called for her booster, but tried to book one anyway, which some people have obviously been able to do, and got a bit annoyed with the person on the phone who wouldn't do what she wanted her to do. Probably because she was not allowed to do that. Because the system wouldn't let her. So no point at all in complaining about the person on the phone, or the system, or anything else.

We've got an almost-miraculous set of vaccines, we're mostly on our third dose while many people have none, and so I'm afraid I do get a bit tetchy with people who complain that they are not getting exactly what they want, when they want it, in the location of their choice, and there has been a lot of that on this thread.

Just to throw in my tuppence-worth, the system has worked well for me. I received
my blue letter around 2/3 weeks ago with an appointment at the local vaccination centre for last Friday. I had my booster plus flu vaccine as did Dh. No issues at all. but would be nice if everybody’s experience could be this uncomplicated

I haven’t got a clue what’s happening about having my booster but will be going to a walk in centre on Tuesday to have it done. And that’s only because someone on Facebook told people in our area that the walk in centre was empty because nobody knew about it. There is a definite lack of communication about boosters imo. I think the OP is being very sensible trying to plan ahead, covid wise, for her trip, especially as she has been, from what I can remember of things that she’s said in the past, been very sensible about keeping herself safe throughout the pandemic. It isn’t her fault that the infection rate in this country is so bad.

It isn’t her fault that the infection rate in this country is so bad.

Nobody has suggested it is. What an odd thing to say.

By my calculations 30 weeks is more than six months so maybe they need to send their staff back to school to learn weeks and months.

As others have said, it will be built into the booking process and will probably not allow the operator to book. We could not book ours until invited.

Alegrias1

^It isn’t her fault that the infection rate in this country is so bad.^

Nobody has suggested it is. What an odd thing to say.

Well, you know I make a habit of saying silly unsubstantiated things don’t you.