Flu jab

Could I please echo what a few posters have written: your GP will order a vaccine suitable for you if you are in any of the relevant categories.

If you choose to have a 'flu jab elsewhere, your surgery will have bought your vaccine in vain.

Many 'flu vaccines are date sensitive.

Your surgery will also lose the income paid to administer the vaccine - this would go to Big Pharma (Boots is now an American company).

Many people complain about the lack of service at their GP surgery. If you would like to do something to help and support them, have your vaccines there.

On a very very basic level, there are not enough doctors to fill all the vacancies. A locum costs £100+ per hour and your surgery has to buy their services.

An additional expense this year will be heating: the surgery will have to be warm but the windows open. Can you imagine the cost?

If you really don't want more surgeries to close, please think twice about where you choose to book your vaccine.

The old adage applies, use it or lose it, for surgeries can't sustain an economic loss and more will have to close.

My sixth injection will be due twelve weeks after my last one, so that will be November. I book mine on the NHS app which gives a choice of local venues. I just choose the pharmacy with good parking. There will, I am told, be another due in the spring for older vulnerable folks.

We always have ours in September, I booked them at Boots for September 20th.

Calendargirl

kevincharley

You may be able to book them but it doesn't necessarily mean you have the vaccination now. They may be taking advanced bookings.
Just a reminder: GP surgeries order enough vaccines for all their eligible patients. If, as an eligible patient, you have your vaccine at a pharmacy, you are then wasting the vaccine your GP has ordered.

How do pharmacies do it? Do they order on the basis of how many they used the previous year? Do they also waste a lot, or do they ‘run out’?

Perhaps the GP surgeries need to do things differently, if they have a number of wasted vaccines. Why do we then hear there are shortages? Could some of the ‘spare’ ones be sent to where they are needed?

Sorry, I've never worked at a pharmacy so I don't know their procedures.
I suppose, in the end, who you choose, is dependent on where you want NHS money to go. Back into the GP's surgery or into a company like Boots or Lloyds.

I was invited by text by my surgery to book a combined flu and covid appointment mid for October.

Flu and Covid injections booked for us both on 1st October. I get a message on my phone to say they are available and am sent dates to choose. Our doctors surgery are giving them both this year. Last year it was a trip to the Covid vaccination centre and then to the doctors for the flu.

We had a message through on our 'My GP' app, that we could book Flu and Covid jabs, appointments at the local Health Centre.

After waiting over 30 minutes for the receptionist to answer, we are now booked in for mid October.

Our surgery invites eligible patients to attend for covid and flu jabs at the same time. Our appointments will be mid September. Mr C had both together last year with no ill effects. As I’d just had surgery and was full of strong pain killers I opted to have mine separately, this year I’ll have them together.

My flu jab is booked for mid October at Boots. I took the first date offered to me.

I would've thought that both GPs and pharmacies ordered according to the number of appointments that have been made.
When I worked as a pharmacy dispenser we would place an order and it would be delivered later that day or the next day from the pharmaceutical warehouse. They would not have enough to cover the whole season at once. A shortage would occur if the suppliers couldn't resource any more. As for excess stock this would be sent to where it was needed.
I wouldn't worry about surgeries being left with excess just because you went to a pharmacy.

kevincharley

You may be able to book them but it doesn't necessarily mean you have the vaccination now. They may be taking advanced bookings.
Just a reminder: GP surgeries order enough vaccines for all their eligible patients. If, as an eligible patient, you have your vaccine at a pharmacy, you are then wasting the vaccine your GP has ordered.

How do pharmacies do it? Do they order on the basis of how many they used the previous year? Do they also waste a lot, or do they ‘run out’?

Perhaps the GP surgeries need to do things differently, if they have a number of wasted vaccines. Why do we then hear there are shortages? Could some of the ‘spare’ ones be sent to where they are needed?

My surgery invited me to book but I couldn’t go on the specified date so I rang to explain but they couldn’t give an alternative and had no idea regarding my 4th Covid vaccination. I’m 72 with heart surgery expected in early October so I’m keen to have both. Subsequently, I booked with Boots for the flu vaccination for which there is no charge, PollyDolly, if one normally has it free on the NHS. I have informed my practice that I’m having it elsewhere.

Me and hubby are getting ours October 3 rd

I was invited to book mine at Lloyds in July. Have it booked for late Sept.

As to covid it seems they are waiting for the new bivalent vaccine from Moderna and that should be here in mid September. Anyone due for one now might want to wait for the new one.
I've had 5 doses so far 2x AZ and 3x Pfizer so I'm glad a more up to date onme will be offered.

I work at a GP so I get mine there but we haven't even ordered ours yet. We have to have the inhaled ones for kids and injections for different age ranges

You may be able to book them but it doesn't necessarily mean you have the vaccination now. They may be taking advanced bookings.
Just a reminder: GP surgeries order enough vaccines for all their eligible patients. If, as an eligible patient, you have your vaccine at a pharmacy, you are then wasting the vaccine your GP has ordered.

Ours is booked at Boots for mid October. We are under 65 and they wouldn't book us until after 11th October.

DH has had a COVID Vax invitation from the GP but we're waiting until we can book to go together.

According to the Lloyds website : the vaccine goes into production in March and usually becomes available in the UK from September.

NHS recommend people should aim to have the flu vaccine during October or November, although it’s not a problem if you get the jab later in winter.

Flu activity peaks between December and February but can be as late as May.

We’ve always had our call up for October.

GrannySeaside. We’ve both had the two together and no after effects.

I got mine end of Sept last year

We've got dates for covid and flu together in October at community hospital. From NHS Scotland.

I would be cautious if over 65 because last year I was offered a vaccine without an adjuvant by a pharmacy, they didn’t have the vaccine specifically for older people. They didn’t volunteer this info, I had to ask which one they were offering. The adjuvant vacc means it is more likely to be effective in older people. I waited and had the more effective vaccine at the surgery.

I don’t know what the situation is this year.

Ive booked ours for september about middle with Asda chemist-i would have liked sooner as wanted youngest son jabbed before return to college but thats earliest they seem to be doing them.Just have to cross fingers that he catches nothing till then.(he usually does!)

Our GP surgery says it will be offering covid jabs to its over 75s from 1 October. We'll wait for that.
The commercial pharmacies have fewer hoops to jump through re delivery of supplies and so forth, and are hoping to outpace GPs and rake in the income. All's fair in love and war I suppose....

Thé flu vaccine is usually available from end of September, it takes around two weeks to develop immunity so it’s never too early to get it. We re rolling out Covid boosters for over 50 s from Sept 14 th in our area and it’s perfectly ok to have both the flu vaccine and the Covid booster at the same time, they are both inactive vaccines but would suggest having them in different arms in case of a localised reaction so that it can be identified which one the reaction was to. There are always potential minor side effects to any vaccine generally feeling like you are getting a cold, bit of a sore arm, headaches are common. We are very fortunate that we live in this day and age where we have amazing scientists who are able to develop these vaccines and let us not forget that many illnesses are now pretty unheard of due to vaccination of the population in our lifetime such as tetanus, diphtheria, smallpox etc

Our surgery is offering Covid booster (over 65’s) plus a flu jab at the same time in September. I’m a but wary if having the 2 together. What do you think about it?