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Health

Can't get flu jab

(136 Posts)
Antonia Mon 26-Oct-20 08:58:28

DH and I had texts from the surgery late September, telling us that flu jabs would take place on each Saturday in October, and that we would be given an appointment.
The four Saturdays have now gone, and no appointment for either of us. We are late sixties and mid seventies.
I tried to book a private jab at Boots, only to find that Boots appear to have run out of the vaccine.
Anyone else experienced this?

maddyone Fri 06-Nov-20 12:03:48

We both had ours last week. No problem to book, just rang the surgery, although they did run out of the vaccine in September, but are restocked now. I had a bit of an aching arm for a couple of days, but no other side effects. My husband had no side effects.

Antonia Fri 06-Nov-20 12:43:54

Just got the text this morning, appointment on 14th November. Better late than never.

Kate1949 Fri 06-Nov-20 14:42:42

All the pharmacies around here now have replenished their stocks. You can just walk in, no appointment necessary. I had mine on Tuesday.

Esspee Mon 09-Nov-20 16:22:23

I got my jab at the weekend, at long last. Had been told that it could no longer by done at my health centre. It would be done somewhere that you entered one door had the jab and exited by another door.
Well it was done in my health centre out of hours, I was taken to an office, given the injection and on the way out given a page of important things to read before agreeing to treatment, left via the same door I came in briefly trapped inside a double door system where the ladies going in stopped me to ask if they were at the right place.
Well done Greater Glasgow Health Board.

watermeadow Tue 10-Nov-20 09:43:04

I’ve stopped even trying to get a flu jab after reading that this year’s vaccine is less than 50% effective. Some years it’s completely ineffective.
As someone who knows the difference between a bad cold and flu I know I’ve only had flu three times in a long life.

annodomini Tue 10-Nov-20 10:35:35

Our practice is now in a group with three others and flu vaccination sessions have been each Saturday on a three-centre rota. I was getting a bit concerned that I hadn't been called for a jab in our local centre, so rang up to check that I was on the list. The next session was to be on the only Saturday I couldn't attend, but I was given an appointment for that very week in a neighbouring centre. It was in the town hall: in one door, hand sanitiser, name check, job done, out the other door. That quickly, and, of course, all masked. If all practices followed this model, no-one would be writing on this thread.

Sunlover Tue 10-Nov-20 13:49:45

I just popped into my chemist on the high street and asked if I could book a flu jab. They did it there and then. I had to sit there for 10 mins afterwards as it was my first ever flu jab.

Alishka Wed 11-Nov-20 14:42:03

Well! My friendly GP's just called round, totally unexpectedly - flu jab now crossed off my listsmile

I asked him if there were many Covid + patients presenting at the surgery - he said that there had been a few since March. Interestingly, back then he'd tested positive for antibodies, he'd no idea.

He also said that he'd never been on a March in his life but was prepared to go on one now in protest at this Govt's handling of the Pandemic.

maddyone Wed 11-Nov-20 14:47:55

Antonia my doctor son in law told me it’s better to have the flu jab later, as the best protection is two weeks after the jab for the next three months. If you have it in September, the protection is already waning by February, and there’s often a lot of flu about in February. For this reason I never get my jab until at least late October and preferably early November.

WOODMOUSE49 Wed 11-Nov-20 16:05:01

watermeadow

I’ve stopped even trying to get a flu jab after reading that this year’s vaccine is less than 50% effective. Some years it’s completely ineffective.
As someone who knows the difference between a bad cold and flu I know I’ve only had flu three times in a long life.

The vaccine must be changed each year, in hopes of matching the ever-mutating viruses. On average, it's been 40% effective, meaning it's prevented illness 40% of the time.

This doesn't really bother me. I decided last year (age 70) to start to have it. Having had flu only once in my life (I was about 50) I don't want at this age. Even is if it 40% effective.