Over 70s and clinically extremely vulnerable to be offered vaccine

Thank you SueDonim. I can wait, one positive thing to come out of the pandemic is that I have developed patience!

I hope you get done sooner, Marydoll, I know your health issues mean you really do need it.

Gwenisgreat1

Well I got my letter this morning but was disappointed I have to go to York when there is a perfectly adequate service in Harrogate!! This evening I had a text from my surgery giving me a local appointment a day earlier in Harrogate!!

How old are you Gwen ?

We’ve heard nothing yet in Durham although our Surgery sends regular texts about not attending in person and calling 111 with Covid symptoms. DH is 70 and on active chemo, but expect we’ll be called sometime. ? I did have to explain to a friend that the vaccine won’t prevent getting the virus, but should mean only having a mild version of it.

DH had a phone call from our GP surgery this afternoon offering him the vaccination on Saturday at a medical centre not far from us.

Such a relief that he hasn't got a long way to travel as his bladder is terribly sensitive after six weeks of radiotherapy and car journeys are a nightmare.

I'm 73 and the receptionist told me I'll probably get a text in 2-3 weeks.

SueDonim, today I had a text from the Scottish Shielding Service which says I should have the vaccine by mid February.
I have been put in the category along with seventy year olds.

Well I got my letter this morning but was disappointed I have to go to York when there is a perfectly adequate service in Harrogate!! This evening I had a text from my surgery giving me a local appointment a day earlier in Harrogate!!

We've been told not to contact our doctors. They will ring us.

Our relatives in Derbyshire, both in early 70s, have had it, but we've one in Suffolk, in her 80s who hasn't. It does vary across the country.

Our local news tells us that not all surgeries have received vaccines but are expecting it soon, Quite a worry for some.

Husband 70 currently on chemo not had invite yet. Hope he gets it soon.
Feel I need to vent how I can’t abide the way Government brag about things. Allegedly World beating at this world beating at that. In fact the UK isn’t good in so so many ways. Too late at actioning important things. Yes we are pretty near the best at Covid deaths.

My mum is 92, she had hers today (East Midlands) - but she was only given notice last Friday, so be prepared to be informed and attend within a few days. The news keeps telling us they are on target to complete all over 70s by mid February, so fingers crossed that will happen.

Still nothing for my mum.

You should contact your GP Alexa. I'm younger than you and have had my first dose.

I am 89 and have not been offered the vaccine.

DH and I had our vaccinations last week but we could easily have missed the call as it came through as "Private Caller", we get so many scam calls and it was only that Dh was waiting for a call from the GP that he decided to answer it. A private health group was then mentioned and we were just waiting for money or bank accounts to be mentioned when it became clear it was our call up! So perhaps answer everything with this in mind.

The roll out is a massive operation, and they are so far doing it really well. But I do worry about the delay in giving the second Pfizer vaccine. Far from giving the 90% protection we were promised, research coming from Israel, who have been giving all their data to Pfizer in exchange for large quantities of the vaccine, reveals that the protection is on 33%. If that is the case, then the second one needs to be given much more swiftly to bump it up to the 90%. Are we the only country delaying the second vaccination?

A note for carers who are worried about their relative not being contacted.

I was listening to LBC this afternoon and the presenter advised a caller who was carer to her son who should be near the top of the list that she could ask her doctor to add onto her notes that she's his carer so that she would be notified when he could have the jab. Alternatively if she knew her NI number she could go onto a website and do it herself.

I think that I've got it right but if anybody is worried they could try searching on line for this information.

MaizieD I don’t recall the PM stating ‘things will go back to normal’ as soon as you have the vaccine? Rather an aspiration for the future, when the majority have been vaccinated. The vaccination has never been ‘sold’ as a quick fix, the same rules apply tomorrow, next week, even the next months as they do today; hands, face, space, no hugging, bubbles as per the rules, etc.

It looks like the roll-out isn’t going well in Scotland. I guess that’s why no one seems to be getting vaccinated in some areas. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55718313

We both had our first jab today and the whole procedure was amazingly efficient and easy, thanks to the many NHS staff and volunteers, from car park to registration to jab to 15 mins supervised rest.

We were so impressed and so grateful, but we certainly won't be taking any risks for another four months or so, and I think even then we will not return to our old normal.

My neighbour had a phone call from our surgery yesterday and she is being vaccinated tomorrow. She is in her early 70s and is vulnerable. She asked about her husband who is also in his 70s with a disability and they booked him in too.

Did anyone hear the 99 year old on Jeremy Vine this lunchtime? I think she was called Eilidh.

In spite of JV being a bit patronising and trying to get her to say she thought she could let her guard down, she kept saying that she was continuing to follow all the guidelines. Including wearing her mask when she went to the supermarket! She was looking forward to testing out a hotel later this year to see if it would be good for her 100th birthday celebration.

I have no idea if this happens, but every health worker administering the vaccine should spend 30 seconds explaining, "this does NOT mean Mrs D that you can now hug everyone or stop washing your hands."
You might be right Maizie, that although JVT has continually stressed this point, Boris has over stressed the getting back to normal bit.

Sparklefizz

There have been plenty of messages telling people to continue to follow the "Hands-Face-Space" rules, MaizieD, starting with Prof Van Tam a few weeks ago.

But the 'hands, face, space' message is not only very inadequate but it is being subverted by our PM telling us that everything is going to return to normal...

I wasn't aware of that, thanks Sparklefizz. This makes it more important for people to realise that as soon as they have the vaccine, they can't immediately go and cuddle their grandchild!

So many think the vaccine is an immediate solution.

Marydoll

There is a thread this morning, started by a health care worker, who has Covid, despite being vaccinated.

^I feel pretty grim, bad cough, aches and fatigue, hoping that the vaccination I had 10 days ago will mean that I avoid a hospital admission.^

Yes, but it was only 10 days ago, and we have been told that it takes 21 days to become effective.