for thinking someone, somewhere should be able to give me the flu jab?

[takethatlady]

Feeling a bit today. I am 15 1/2 weeks pregnant. I tried to get the flu jab before Christmas at my local GP in Cambridge. They had run out of the vaccine. When I went to my mum's in Kent, she rang her own GP, who had also run out and said to get it in Boots. Boots refused to give it to me because I am pregnant. Yesterday I called my GP again, who has still run out of the vaccine. I booked my 16 week appointment with my midwife, who asked if I had had the flu jab. I said no, and she said her GP had also run out, and that I couldn't get it from Tesco or somewhere else because it's 'not in their remit' to give it to pregnant women 'just in case' (of what, she didn't say).

Now DH, who is a teacher, is on his way home from school with dizziness, lightheadedness and a sore throat. I also have a sore throat though I feel otherwise fine.

Feeling pretty damn angry about the media frenzy about how pregnant women are dying with the fecking flu, and with surgeries which haven't ordered in enough vaccine to treat their patients. Argh! Any ideas where I can go to get it?

i hadnt heard any media frenzy about pregnant women dying.

i had heard advice that pregnant women, old and young people, asthmatics and others with certain med conditions should get the vaccine, as they are most susceptible to swine flu.

young people are mentioned quite a lot

the gov health minister before xmas gave this advice and also said GP's should be writing to these groups to offer the vaccine.

their have been reports of sone deaths, but i had not heard of any group specified as high, nor really specified as any particular group of people at all, nor how many of these deaths are swine flu or ordinary flu?

my pregnant fiance has had a severe cold, but no flu

but isnt comfortable with a chemical infusion so has opted against the vaccine.

i too had a severe cold and as an asthmatic opted against the vaccine as well

Perhaps it's just in my area but there have been several stories about women contracting swine flu and not being able to fight it because of lower immunity/baby fighting for itself to survive. 4 of the 19 deaths from swine flu this winter have been in pregnant women and there are a couple of pregnant women in intensive care with it ...

Don't worry, though, I'm not actually worried about death (that would be a bit overdramatic! - the figures are still very low). But it's hard not to worry about contracting it with so much coverage - and then it's annoying not to be able to get hold of the vaccine. One minute you're told you must have it, the next you're told you can't!

there have actually been 39 deaths from flu since oct, 36 swine flu

i have not come across the breakdown for preganant women myself.

it seems your local GP's arent following Gov advice.

Can you just go to another GP surgery to get it? I live near Huntingdon and my GP has it.

Just found an article about this, though it is in the Daily Mail (!): here

It's not that my GPs aren't following the advice, it's that they didn't stock enough vaccine before the season and can't get hold of anymore. As this appears to be in Cambridge and in Kent, it must be a more widespread problem.

If they were going against government advice I'd argue with them, but there's no point because they don't have any vaccine to give anyway.

what about your hospital?

My next-door neighbour is a locum GP so I may ask her if she can get me in at another surgery - good idea eau.

You could get your GP to write a script for it, get it at the pharmacy and take it back to the surgery to be administered.

thats a great idea!

didnt know you could do that

No - nor did I! The receptionist wouldn't even let me in for an appointment when I mentioned the jab the other day. Have to wait until tomorrow now but I'll just not mention the jab when I book an appointment tomorrow and try to bend the GP's arm.

Thanks!

takethatlady if you're going to look at approaching a different surgery, I certainly know one of the Cambs villages which has the vaccine as a friend was jabbed there only a couple of days ago. PM me if you need more info.

And I just sent my cousin a message, she's a GP in Cambridge. I'll let you know if her surgery has the jab in stock.

I can understand your frustrations.

I work in a GP surgery and our vaccine supplies are very low - we are awaiting further deliveries.

The problem is largely because we had to order our flu vaccine last summer based on anticipated usual target numbers ie the elderly and our patients in 'at risk' groups. At the time this didn't include pregnant women and so they weren't factored in to our order numbers. We don't over-order vaccine as we don't want to waste it.

Now we are being told to vaccinate them and have very limited numbers of vaccines left!

I tried to get vaccinated when i was about 28 weeks pregnant, made the appointment and the GP at my surgery refused to let me have it! I will be very pissed off if i now get the flu as i am due in two weeks.

Wow thank you ladies! I didn't realise they'd only added pregnant women in after the stocks had been ordered, but that figures. I will try the getting it on prescription and then from tesco and back to gp route, and I'll try my neighbour for help. If not I'll come back to you! Thanks!

Ps- roulade, I hope you are fine (sure you will be) and good luck with the delivery!

You may have problems - I'm at work now and have just been informed that there's none available so we can't get any more We have 13 vaccines left.

Some pharmacies may hold stock but I hear Boots won't vaccinate under-16s or pregnant women. It's all a bit crap really.

Thanks Takethatlady!

I tried to book an appointment for flu jabs for DD (cardiac problems) and DS2 (Chronic asthma). My GP has ONE vaccination left. I was told that I had to choose which one of my dc will get the jab! . How in the name of hell can you make a decision like that?? (I have had to, btw, horrid thing to have to do). I have chosen to get the jab from the GP for DS2 who is 7yo, as there may be slightly more chance of me managing to get one (that I'll have to pay for) in a supermarket/ pharmacy for DD as she is almost 13yo, and 5ft3. Bloody awful thing to have to choose which of your dc to vaccinate though!

Oh no loudlass that's terrible

Sounds like you made a sensible decision under the circumstances, but I don't think any of us want to be presented with Sophie's Choice when all we want is a jab!

Hope you get it all sorted.