Cannot get a covid jab for love nor money!

[ClimbingTheCupboards]

I am pregnant and all over the antenatal clinic are posters telling me how very important it is to get my covid booster, repeated by my midwife every time I see her. No problem. Midwife says I have to book it through the GP. Fine. GP tells me I can go to the pharmacy and get it. Fine. Pharmacy say I have to go back to the GP. OK. GP tells me they will book me in for whooping cough but they don't do covid vaccines so I need to visit a website giving me details of walk-in services. Said website says walk in vaccines are paused from 31 January 2024 "until further notice". I just got a text this morning from the midwives reminding me HOW VERY IMPORTANT IT IS to get my covid jab. I'm trying!!!!

Has anyone else had this issue?

That’s the kind of information I need to sleep peacefully at night. Thank you.

@ClimbingTheCupboards I’ve no idea why the vaccine programme was paused in December but it’s good news a new one is starting in April. Hope you can get it then If you still want it!

OPnot sure whereabouts you are but a friend has recently booked an appointment with Fleet Street clinic in London after just googling “covid booster near me”

And that was for a private/payable booster?

As far as I know, pregnant women aren’t going to be entitled to the spring booster. It is only for people 75+, those in care homes and anyone with immune disease issues. That’s what my midwife has told me anyway although I’m due in April so it would have been too late for me regardless x

@Mrsttcno1 ah. That’s a shame, I thought pregnancy would be covered as it suppresses your immune system.

It looks like they’ll be available from spring/April (depending where you look) for about £45. I think I’d pay if I was pregnant, for piece of mind more than anything.

i wonder how much they’ve tightened up whose eligible on the NHS, I had the booster just before the cut off date in preparation for immunosuppressive treatment. I will need to repeat it in a year so I’m just curious whether I’ll need to get it privately or not.

I had assumed the same @Cornettoninja but apparently not, at least according to my midwife but it may differ depending on area. I know back in November when I was trying to get one my midwife had said that if our area had a spike in Covid cases above a certain % of population then pregnancy would enable you to get a booster again as it would show there’s an increased risk so they would broaden the eligibility for boosters so it may be the same for the April ones x

my midwife had said that if our area had a spike in Covid cases above a certain % of population then pregnancy would enable you to get a booster again

I don’t like the sound of that! It’s far too reactionary for me! I’m pleased that it is likely to be available privately.

My understanding is that the booster will be available privately from the 1st April

Then I’d wear a mask. Clean air would be better but 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Thats the best you can do to protect yourself and the baby just now.

Have you tried walk in pharmacy for COVID jab? They do that and probably you need to show them an email saying you need a jab.

Selected pharmacies within the Pharmadoctor group are offering Novavax and Pfizer from I April. I am pre-booked for April 17. They will cost from £45. The price is being set by individual pharmacists. You may or may not find one in your area, but you can search the website. More venues are being added as the weeks go by.

Boots and Superdrug are expecting to offer private Pfizer jabs from March (price to be announced).

NHS will open the booking site in April:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/preparing-for-a-successful-spring-2024-covid-19-vaccination-campaign/

• Eligible cohorts in spring 2024

• adults aged 75 years and over
• residents in care homes for older adults
• individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the Green Book, chapter 14a; tables 3 and 4)

This includes those who turn 75 years old by 30 June 2024. These people will be eligible for a vaccination at any point in the campaign. People who are admitted to an older adult care home or become immunosuppressed by 30 June are also eligible.

The Green Book has been updated to reflect the JCVI advice and training materials and legal mechanisms will be updated in line with the JCVI advice before vaccinations start.

"Visits to older adult care homes and eligible housebound patients should begin 15 April 2024. For all other eligible cohorts, vaccinations should start by 22 April 2024 and end on 30 June 2024.

Vaccinations in care homes and for eligible housebound people
Primary care network (PCN) groupings and other commissioned COVID-19 vaccination sites should plan to start vaccinating residents in older adult care homes and eligible housebound individuals from Monday 15 April.

Invitations and bookings
The NHS will plan to invite and vaccinate those eligible for a spring dose by 30 June, via a combination of local and national invitations. Systems should work on the basis that sites will have access to the National Booking Service on Tuesday 9 April. Sites must load appointments so that invitations can start, allowing the public to book appointments from Monday 15 April."

Hope this helps.

Pregnant women have never been taken off the list, and they will be eligible for the spring booster.

Don’t worry - pregnant women are definitely eligible for the spring booster! The JCVI has confirmed it. 😊

I'd run as fast as I could from the covid jab.

my midwife had said that if our area had a spike in Covid cases above a certain % of population then pregnancy would enable you to get a booster again as it would show there’s an increased risk so they would broaden the eligibility for boosters

The misinformation midwives seem to be sharing, on this thread and others, is so concerning. Midwives should know about the Green Book and they should know about the table that indicates eligibility. Pregnant women have always been eligible!

If you scroll to the end of this page you can search for participating pharmacies:

https://pharmadoctor.co.uk/patient/service/covid-vaccination

Enter postcode and select Covid vaccination from the dropdown menu. More pharmacists are expected to be added as the weeks go by. I was lucky that there is one very near to me. (I am not eligible for an NHS spring booster as under 75s are not included this spring.)

Oh thats good to know! My baby is due in 4 weeks so it might be too late for me, but at least others will benefit.

Are people still getting these??!

Poison? Christ alive

Would ye now