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Covid jab - chemist too crowded

(61 Posts)
Desdemona Fri 20-Oct-23 16:31:01

I have just been for my covid jab appointment at a local (quite small) chemist.

People were in there packed like sardines waiting for jabs, queing for prescriptions and all sorts of other things. People waiting for the jabs were litter

HelterSkelter1 Sun 22-Oct-23 10:40:57

I would have preferred to be vaccinated in an open ventilated area ...not a large cupboard where the previous patients had been breathing out maybe Covid viruses. That's the answer to the "so what?" Oreo.
I am not being precious. Am pleased to have had the jab. But it is all very different from the early vaccination days. And from the above posts some surgeries etc are managing and organising it better than others.

Marydoll Sun 22-Oct-23 10:25:39

???????
I'm sure Joe Public is as much at risk in very crowded places and can understand the OP's concerns.. I have heard of so many people recently, coming back from holiday, having caught Covid.

I always knew I was special!. 😉

Aveline Sun 22-Oct-23 10:07:17

I was talking about Joe Public not the very special people

Marydoll Sun 22-Oct-23 10:03:38

Crowds at a vaccination centre shouldn't be a worry : They are if you are CEV or immunocompromised.

Aveline Sun 22-Oct-23 09:58:06

I had mine by appointment at an NHS vaccination centre in a local shopping mall. All organised well and v efficient.
Two weeks later we went on holiday. Lots of queues and crowds at the airport. Very close proximity on the plane etc and the same on the way home. Buffet meals with shared utensils etc in the hotel. We fully expected to have caught colds or worse. But nothing happened. All was fine. Crowds at a vaccination centre really shouldn't be a worry.

Oreo Sun 22-Oct-23 09:20:00

RosiesMaw

Frankly that was the opposite of my experience last time. I cannot speak too highly of the calm efficient way the jabs were administered. It was a small independent chemist too.
This time our health centre had also got their act together for the afternoon appointments but according to the nurse, had been “going like a fair” in the morning as lots of people turned up far too early.
Let’s face it, places and personnel vary. We should just be glad these jabs are so readily available and not be too impatient if it does not always fun like clockwork.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Took my Mum for hers at a pharmacy, just a small queue inside, yes, the room was like a cupboard where the nurse gave the jabs but so what? She sat on a chair and they were friendly and efficient and we were out of there in about 5 minutes.

harrigran Sun 22-Oct-23 09:05:56

I was given an appointment at a pharmacy on a Sunday, they were not open for business just vaccinations . I was the only person in at the time of my appointment.

annodomini Sat 21-Oct-23 10:19:23

A year ago, I made an appointment on line at a local pharmacy, The timing was precise and, as it appeared that everyone had turned up on time, there was no queue and it was all over in less than five minutes. This time, having re-located, I booked on line and arrived at a nearby high school to join what looked like an enormous queue. However, the hall was set out with a large number of tables, each with a doctor or nurse to administer the jabs, and the queue dispersed so quickly that I got my two vaccinations at exactly the time I'd booked.
With good planning, either way can work.

Jaxjacky Sat 21-Oct-23 09:22:41

I’d have turned around and left.
My covid was at the GP surgery, queued for five minutes, then in and out, flu at the pharmacy, no queue. Separate jabs was my choice.

seadragon Sat 21-Oct-23 09:11:21

Despite being summonsed for jabs a week before DH to a Boys Brigade hut, instead of the former medical centre - (new one now installed within new eco friendly hospital next door which had served during the Lockdown) , the process for both flu and Covid jabs, was swift, on time and efficient, though the venue was rather cold for the staff. The nurse said DH could just have come with me but he had a) said he did not want me to phone to enquire and b) would not come with me on the off chance.... Apparently we had been given separate appointments 'because he is now 75'... and I am 15 months younger. I must say we seem well served here in general. Just this year, on our little lane of 10 houses there has been 2 hip replacements and a knee that I know of and various responses by ambulance within 10 minutes. I am in the process of being assessed, following a face to face appt with GP, for bilateral hip replacement, have had an x-ray within 2 weeks of the appointment and have already seen an orthotist as one leg is longer than the other.....!

Georgesgran Sat 21-Oct-23 08:20:22

I’d booked to have both jabs a few miles away, to coincide visiting a friend who lives nearby. I thought I was in the wrong place as the building appeared deserted, ominously dark, shuttered and sporting a For Sale sign.
Inside was like the Marie Celeste, but I found a young lady in one room who did the job quickly and efficiently. I didn’t see another living soul there at all.

Marydoll Sat 21-Oct-23 08:12:28

I am having my 'flu and Covid boosters at 19.58 (very precise) in our local health centre, which is ten minutes away. It has opened up every weekend until January solely for this purpose.
It is all socially distanced and a posse of NHS staff are vaccinating.
There is a large airy waiting are with bottled water available if required.
I am immunocompromised and could never contemplate visiting a crowded chemist.

Oopsadaisy1 Sat 21-Oct-23 08:00:07

PS of course I could have opted to go to another chemist some miles away, but I imagine they too will be swamped with people.

Oopsadaisy1 Sat 21-Oct-23 07:59:12

Our surgery isn’t doing the Covid jabs, they are at a local small chemist with queues snaking around the corner.

Appointments are being made, but they are allowing walkins to just join the queue, I waited 35 minutes with my mask on. Just one lady doing the jabs, in the corner of the chemist, no screens.
If we have to have any more I won’t bother with an appointment, I’ll choose a time and day when I think it will be quieter and I’ll do a walk-in as well.

Maggiemaybe Sat 21-Oct-23 07:07:27

Why are there queues - are they running late or are people turning up early? At our GP surgery the queue is outside, and you just join the end of it, whatever your appointment time. I do admit I find it irritating that people turn up 15/20 minutes early, when we’re specifically asked not to.

This year we went to a small pharmacy. Turned up on time, straight in, and ten minutes later as we were leaving the next person was coming in.

cornergran Sat 21-Oct-23 06:40:19

Booked timed covid jabs at an independent pharmacy. Arriving a few minutes early - I hate to be late - the couple before us were just leaving. Masks were required. Straight in, out again very quickly with advice to wait 15 minutes before driving and apologies there was no space to wait in the shop. The coffee shop next door was handy! Flu jabs were accomplished at our nearest Boots as we prefer to leave space between them. Again no waiting, all exactly to time, professional and pain free. It does seem the luck of the draw.

Redrobin51 Fri 20-Oct-23 20:29:32

Very well organised this year at our local surgery. They do both the flu and Covid jab. I think they learnt their lesson from last time when too many people were booked in so there was a long queue outside on a rainy, miserable night.

HelterSkelter1 Fri 20-Oct-23 20:02:36

Our GP only does the flu jab. I had my covid jab at our local pharmacy and was 2nd in a small queue...but it was at 9.00 when they had just opened. Later in the day the smallish shop would have been packed as it was a walk in service. My husband had his at a different pharmacy a few miles away where you booked a time and it was fairly airy, spacious and quiet. But the vaccination room was very tiny. More like a large cupboard.

It's all so different from the early days of the vaccinations where we were socially distanced, masked and sanitised and everyone sat for 15 minutes after.

Salti Fri 20-Oct-23 18:51:07

I'd booked appointments online for my husband, his brother and myself for covid jabs at a local chemist for yesterday. I picked that pharmacy as I knew it had it's own flat car park. They had a small backlog, but had half a dozen chairs available and it all went smoothly. We'd had our flu jabs at our surgery, all together. I got a text from the surgery yesterday asking if we wanted to book covid jabs.....too late.

ginny Fri 20-Oct-23 18:13:26

We had our flu jab last Saturday at our local GP surgery. Quite by chance we walked past and saw it open so asked if we could have it done. Yes, sorted and on our way in less than 5 minutes.
The same surgery is not doing Covid jabs so we have an appointment at the local chemist on the 30th.

Greyduster Fri 20-Oct-23 18:05:09

Pharmacy not surgery!

Greyduster Fri 20-Oct-23 18:04:41

I had my flu jab at our surgery - queued outside, packed to the rafters inside! A melee!
A week later a covid jab at a surgery not local to me. Lovely pharmacist. ”Come straight through Mrs GD - have you in and out in no time, and he took my BP too (first time that’s happened).

Urmstongran Fri 20-Oct-23 18:00:06

I had mine done at our independent pharmacy yesterday about 4pm it was quiet and I just walked in. Earlier that day it had been heaving so I decided to return later. I wouldn’t have wanted to be in that huge queue!

RosiesMaw Fri 20-Oct-23 17:37:03

RUN not “fun” !!!

RosiesMaw Fri 20-Oct-23 17:36:34

Frankly that was the opposite of my experience last time. I cannot speak too highly of the calm efficient way the jabs were administered. It was a small independent chemist too.
This time our health centre had also got their act together for the afternoon appointments but according to the nurse, had been “going like a fair” in the morning as lots of people turned up far too early.
Let’s face it, places and personnel vary. We should just be glad these jabs are so readily available and not be too impatient if it does not always fun like clockwork.