Bureaucratic nonsense

There’s only just been a report issued that unfortunately shows that those of us that had the AZ vaccine aren’t as protected as those that had the Pfizer one. I know the Pfizer one always did have a greater immune response and we’re still well protected from hospitalisation but it’s really important that we get that shot of the Pfizer one asap. I’m not knocking the AZ vaccine. I still think it was an amazing achievement but I am relieved that I’ve had the Pfizer booster. Especially as they’re not going to make NHS workers have the vaccine, probably because they can’t afford to lose any staff and we older people need to be as protected as possible if ever we need to go to hospital. Even though I had the vaccine at a walk in centre I did tell my surgery how impressed and grateful I was with the way they contacted me on my 182nd day ( I wasn’t taking up precious time by doing so by the way but via a message to them that included other things).

Alegrias1

Hattiehelga

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.

Well, that's not really the case is it?

The Health Minister has "ordered" the NHS to allow people over 50 to book their boosters a month before they are due to have them. Which should make some people posting here very happy.

However, that doesn't mean they get their boosters a month early. Just in case anyone was thinking of complaining that their 5 months are up and they haven't had their booster yet.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10124033/Millions-Covid-vaccine-ministers-rip-booster-jab-booking-system.html

From Wednesday 27th, It's Mr Javid you should be thanking.

Obviously it wasn't worth being happy about 10 days ago because I mentioned it.

(Sorry, the chip on my shoulder is getting heavy )

That is good.

“Yeah! And I bet your mother told you to eat your greens because poor children in Africa are starving. hmm”
Ha! I was thinking the same .

MayBee70

I realised yesterday that my surgery had phoned me exactly 182 days after my second vaccination. But I didn’t know that they were going to do so. Ok, it says on their website that they will contact people when their booster is due but it was the insecurity of not trusting that that was going to happen. And that’s the ongoing theme of the pandemic: the ‘not knowingness’. And anything that involves being on the phone and put on hold endlessly is like a form of torture. It really does do something to your brain!

And it appears somebody was listening to what so many people like you (and me) have been saying. It was a valid concern.

It would appear that somebody in PHE was listening to some of us on GN* and the system will be changed on Monday, so that people can book a booster in advance. Obviously we weren't the only ones who wanted this, so thank you PHE for taking notice, while others tried to put us down by, for example, claiming we are "entitled".

*I don't really think PHE reads GN, but this does just go to show we weren't the only ones to comment on this.

My husband and I both received text messages yesterday asking us to either book or go to a walk in clinic to get our boosters. I think that makes it 189 days since we got the second dose of our Pfizer vaccines. We’ve booked for Sunday at a pharmacy about ten minutes drive from our house. It’s the closest place offering booster jabs. We’ve still got to sit down for 15 minutes following the jab so they must have facilities for that. We received our initial vaccinations at a large, purpose built GP Practice and Health Centre which was turned completely into a vaccination centre during the first round of vaccinations. I assumed the GPs were operating out of one of their smaller surgeries (they have several) whilst the vaccination programme was on there.

I realised yesterday that my surgery had phoned me exactly 182 days after my second vaccination. But I didn’t know that they were going to do so. Ok, it says on their website that they will contact people when their booster is due but it was the insecurity of not trusting that that was going to happen. And that’s the ongoing theme of the pandemic: the ‘not knowingness’. And anything that involves being on the phone and put on hold endlessly is like a form of torture. It really does do something to your brain!

No walk-in round here unfortunately.

growstuff

Luckygirl

That is exactly what I wanted to do - it is simple common sense.

Same here! My 182 days are up next week. I haven't heard a thing and all I know is that there is a walk-in centre at my local leisure centre. I can't afford to spend hours queuing. If I had a specific time, that would be OK because I'd work round it and could juggle my work around a bit. I've asked on a local Facebook group, but nobody seems to know more than I do.

The issue is lack of communication. I don't want to jump any queues. I just want a reasonably convenient date and a time, so that I can plan accordingly. I would imagine there are many people in the same situation. The original programme worked amazingly well and I just don't understand why this one seems so hit and miss, maybe depending where one lives.

The walk in centre I went to was brilliant. I was straight in. DH went first thing this morning just as they opened. He asked them last week what was the best time to go and the said 2 pm was very quiet so that’s when I went. We were exactly 182 days after our second vaccine. There seemed to be more people with appointments though. They said people still didn’t seem to know you could just turn up. I only knew because someone on Facebook told me.

Had a text from nhs to have my booster and ring doctor only to be told they are not doing them yet

Luckygirl

That is exactly what I wanted to do - it is simple common sense.

Same here! My 182 days are up next week. I haven't heard a thing and all I know is that there is a walk-in centre at my local leisure centre. I can't afford to spend hours queuing. If I had a specific time, that would be OK because I'd work round it and could juggle my work around a bit. I've asked on a local Facebook group, but nobody seems to know more than I do.

The issue is lack of communication. I don't want to jump any queues. I just want a reasonably convenient date and a time, so that I can plan accordingly. I would imagine there are many people in the same situation. The original programme worked amazingly well and I just don't understand why this one seems so hit and miss, maybe depending where one lives.

Incidentally Candelle I'm the person who couldn't have my vaccine on a Saturday morning.

It seems to be arranged differently in different areas of the country.
Vaccines are only done at weekends here, at a specified time at the GP surgery. Patients are phoned by the receptionists and given an appointment time.

That is exactly what I wanted to do - it is simple common sense.

interesting update. I got my invitation from my GP and was allowed to BOOK online an appointment before I was actually elegible. The appointment could only be on or after the date on which I became elegible. The online system was not the national one but set up by my local practices all banding together

"Obviously no one wants to lose income but surely your hours could be amended on one particular day so you could attend the centre to have your vaccination? I would have thought that it would be possible to add hours later in the day to make up any lost income. This is an individual choice and of course, we all think differently."

You really don't know anything about my work.

Of course I value my life and I'm an ardent supporter of vaccines. However, even my local site warns people that there might be queues and tells them to take something to eat and drink. That would imply that it could take longer than an hour or two. Incidentally, I don't work for minimum wage, so two hour's work is a significant share of my income, which I can't afford to lose. Please butt out! I'm not going to give any more details of my finances or work arrangements.

No Candelle I have almost no "scope" to arrange my working hours. I'm a tutor and most of my pupils are school age children, who only have time on Saturdays. I also work most evenings, so it's difficult to rearrange lessons, although I would try to do just that, if I had an advance date for vaccination. Please stop trying to tell me how to arrange my life, when you really don't know what you're talking about. I've told the truth and that's that!

To growstuff: I understand that you are self-employed which, to my mind means that you have even more scope to dictate your working hours.

Personally, I would value a booster dose of vaccine that could save my life above working for an hour - or even two. I really can't imagine that you would be longer than this. In all our experiences with vaccinations we have been in and out well within half an hour.

Obviously no one wants to lose income but surely your hours could be amended on one particular day so you could attend the centre to have your vaccination? I would have thought that it would be possible to add hours later in the day to make up any lost income. This is an individual choice and of course, we all think differently.

Alternatively, have you considered contacting the National Vaccination Centre? They could help you find a different vaccination centre that was open on a day which would suit you better so your problem would not apply.

Of course I did not want to appear patronising and I don't give advice, only suggestions which could be of benefit to others.

I really don't want to enter tit-for-tat comments, so this will be my last on this topic.

No walk-ins round here!

The last I was told it was 190 days, and the centre staff were fed up about that change - has it changed again to 182?

growstuff

FoghornLeghorn

I work in a vaccination centre. We do walk-ins and use 182 days as the eligibility point rather than the imprecise ‘months’.

Yes, that's what my current site says - 182 days. However, that information only appeared yesterday.

PS. I'm very grateful for all you've done/are doing. It seems to be a problem with communication.

That’s interesting Growstuff. It bothers me that there is apparent inconsistency between centres as we have been operating our 182 days policy since we started boosters some weeks ago.

We do feel that our patients appreciate us as they frequently tell us so and our staff room is adorned with thank you cards as well as a regular supply of doughnuts, cupcakes and chocolates.

Most of the jabs we are giving are boosters with a smaller number of first and second doses, these mainly for young adults who I suspect are worried that their liberty may be curtailed if not fully vaccinated. We started vaccinating 12 to 15 year olds last week which has added to our workload.

But we are happy to be busy as it means that large numbers of people are coming forward to protect themselves and others.

FoghornLeghorn

I work in a vaccination centre. We do walk-ins and use 182 days as the eligibility point rather than the imprecise ‘months’.

Yes, that's what my current site says - 182 days. However, that information only appeared yesterday.

PS. I'm very grateful for all you've done/are doing. It seems to be a problem with communication.

Incidentally Candelle I'm the person who couldn't have my vaccine on a Saturday morning. No, I couldn't have my vaccine at the beginning, middle or end of the session. I'm self-employed and work most of the day. I lose money if I don't work and, as I'm already living on the breadline, it's a significant loss of money. I don't have an employer! And I find your "advice" extremely patronising.

My local walk-in centre is closed at lunch-time (I don't take a lunch break anyway). The site itself warns people that there will be last minute changes in opening times, closures if they run out and advises people that there could be long queues and to take something to eat and drink and keep warm. It's not just a question of taking an hour off work. There will be many other people in the same situation and/or have to arrange public transport or lifts. I would have to cancel a whole day's work to be sure that I would have enough time.

Interestingly, the site has now been updated to give more information and advises people to use the national booking system when it's been 182 since their last dose. That's what I'll do, but the information only appeared yesterday, when the date stamp on the website says it was updated.

I become eligible to book next week and I'm happy with that, but the information wasn't available when I posted.

PS. I always take a great deal of responsibility for my own health, which is probably just as well in the current circumstances.

I work in a vaccination centre. We do walk-ins and use 182 days as the eligibility point rather than the imprecise ‘months’.

Actually Candelle many of us do appreciate how difficult it is to organise the vaccinations. I, for one, am awestruck at how well the initial programme went, which is precisely why I'm puzzled that it doesn't appear to be going so well this time. The systems are already in place, any bureaucratic problems have presumably been ironed out, so it does seem strange. I'm hugely appreciative of the volunteers and the medics who have worked "over time". The problems seem more to do with communication and maybe some software issues. The OP was about booking in advance, not queue jumping. It was possible to book in advance six months ago, so I don't understand why it can't be done now.