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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that the over 80’s Covid Vaccine is slow to materialise?

204 replies

Mincepie5 · 17/12/2020 16:05

I phoned the GP who signposted me to the local health board who signposted me to the GP again. No one seemed to know anything about a vaccination programme. I have emailed the local government and had a reply to thank me for my email that will usually be responded to in 15 days! Anyone in South Wales Aneurin Bevan area know what is going on with regards to this?

OP posts:
JaceLancs · 18/12/2020 23:42

Lancashire - if that wasn’t obvious from my user name!

JaceLancs · 18/12/2020 23:43

DM 81
NDN 80

VanGoghsDog · 19/12/2020 00:56

And how does one go about contacting the CCG when no one will give you any contact details? I tried one number and it went straight to a voice mail and said the mail box was full.

So you DO have contact details then? The VM is probably full of people asking when they will get the vaccine.

I'm sure you'll work it out. It's only been started a flipping week.

PlumsAreNotTheOnlyFruit · 19/12/2020 08:42

@VanGoghsDog

And how does one go about contacting the CCG when no one will give you any contact details? I tried one number and it went straight to a voice mail and said the mail box was full.

So you DO have contact details then? The VM is probably full of people asking when they will get the vaccine.

I'm sure you'll work it out. It's only been started a flipping week.

I posted because I have been trying to find out information. This is because I'm worried about how my deaf, extremely elderly relative will be able to access the vaccine given their difficulties in communicating on the telephone.
StCharlotte · 19/12/2020 08:47

@Chutneymaura

Rang surgery for my 95 year old mum today. Apparently they’ve used all their first batch vaccines now do she won’t get called till the new year. Names of all over 80’s were put in a random generator program in computer and hers didn’t come out. So it’s not really based on over 80 + how vulnerable/old it’s a simple lottery. I’m still processing this as it seems a bit weird.
That might explain why my MIL who's 89 didn't get her but her younger friend did.

Next Pfizer batch not due until March.

Pray God they approve the Oxford vaccine before then.

TroysMammy · 19/12/2020 09:00

Please don't ring your GP. We know as much as the general public ie nothing. We imagine you'll get a letter and will not be vaccinated at the surgery but that is a guess. We are extremely busy at this time of year without the added pressure of patients asking about the Covid vaccine. I nearly burst into tears yesterday as I was so overwhelmed with the pressure of ordering prescriptions and constantly answering the phone to sort out in depth queries and that is definitely not like me.

LakieLady · 19/12/2020 09:06

@vodkaredbullgirl

None going on where I work (care home in Somerset)
A friend works in a care home in Suffolk, and none of their residents have been vaccinated yet.

She was offered a vaccination appointment as a care home worker, but it was over 40 miles away in the next county, and she doesn't drive. The journey would have involved 2 trains and 2 buses each way, and taken more than a couple of hours each way too, so there was no way she could have fitted it in around her shifts.

My 82yo MIL (Greater London) and friend's 92yo DM (West Sussex) haven't got a date for their vax yet.

The surgery near me (East Sussex) that is giving the vax has already used up their 975-shot allocation of vaccine, according to local gossip. Two neighbours, both well over 80, have yet to hear when they're getting theirs.

I'm 65, and have resigned myself to thinking that I won't be getting mine before the autumn.

We'll probably be in lockdown no. 6 by then.

I wish we could have antibody tests, as I'm damn sure I had it at the start of the initial lockdown.

daisypond · 19/12/2020 09:15

I’ve been asking elderly friends (over 80s) to see if they’ve been offered the vaccine. Only one person has - by phoning up their GP surgery...

Camomila · 19/12/2020 09:26

I don't know anyone who has had it yet but DM tells me the church/community centre next to the gps surgery is being turned into a vaccination centre (Brighton).

MadisonAvenue · 19/12/2020 10:16

There was supposed to be a vaccine clinic starting in my town today but it was postponed last night, it’s hoped now that it’ll start in ‘the coming weeks’.

VanGoghsDog · 19/12/2020 11:16

She was offered a vaccination appointment as a care home worker, but it was over 40 miles away in the next county, and she doesn't drive.

My mum lives in Suffolk, the vaccinations are being done at the James Paget in GT Yarmouth, yes the "next county".

Your friend needs to find a way to get there. My mum can't drive that far so I've said I'll take a day off work when she is called, she's three hours from me and it's an hour each way to the hospital but it has to be done (twice).

She could take a taxi though, if I can't help.

Your friend needs to ask around about hospital transport schemes, plenty exist and they are probably ramping up with this situation. She also needs to talk to her employer about getting her shifts sorted to fit it in.

This is really not a sensible reason not to go when called.

LakieLady · 19/12/2020 11:59

@fairydustandpixies

Everyone I know who is 80 and older in various places in the UK have had their first vaccine, all this week.
While I know several 80+ people, in Croydon, Sutton, Brighton, East & West Sussex, and none of them have had vaccinations or appointments arranged to have them.
LakieLady · 19/12/2020 12:26

@VanGoghsDog

She was offered a vaccination appointment as a care home worker, but it was over 40 miles away in the next county, and she doesn't drive.

My mum lives in Suffolk, the vaccinations are being done at the James Paget in GT Yarmouth, yes the "next county".

Your friend needs to find a way to get there. My mum can't drive that far so I've said I'll take a day off work when she is called, she's three hours from me and it's an hour each way to the hospital but it has to be done (twice).

She could take a taxi though, if I can't help.

Your friend needs to ask around about hospital transport schemes, plenty exist and they are probably ramping up with this situation. She also needs to talk to her employer about getting her shifts sorted to fit it in.

This is really not a sensible reason not to go when called.

The appointment she was offered was in Colchester, which was in Essex last time I looked. She lives a few miles east of Bury St Edmunds. While Great Yarmouth might be nearer, and in the same county, iirc the station is on the Norwich line, so would still involve 2 trains (minimum) and at least one bus to Bury station.

She's on a ZHC (by choice, she likes the flexibility) and generally does 4 shifts from 2pm-10pm a week, which she has to commit to a week in advance.

The appointment offered was at 5pm on a day when she was committed to working and offered with a little over 24 hours notice. They struggle massively to get staff to work the late shift at the best of times, especially at short notice. If she had opted to make the (long) journey to Colchester, the care home she works at would have been short of staff for that shift. And the buses would have stopped running by the time she got back to her nearest station.

With more notice, she undoubtedly could have made arrangements to get there and found someone to cover her shift, but that wasn't the situation she was in and she had to make the decision there and then.

I don't blame her at all for declining it, under the circumstances.

oneglassandpuzzled · 19/12/2020 12:44

The Telegraph says Oxford vaccine will gain approval on the 28/29th, so perhaps that will speed things up.

wonkylegs · 19/12/2020 12:49

The main issue is logistics finding people to do it, getting people in safely
Some areas are managing better than others but some are struggling with overwhelmed nhs services so finding spare people to supervise and administer and sort out the logistics getting vaccines and people to the right places is harder.
DH has just volunteered to go in on Boxing Day to supervise (they need drs to be available in case there are issues) but as that is the only day besides Christmas Day (this year he's off yay) he's not working there isn't a lot of spare time he and his colleagues can volunteer for this role.
His trust is well into the swing of things though, it's just going to take a bit of time.

VanGoghsDog · 19/12/2020 13:37

With more notice

There is no ability for there to be more notice so unless she changes something she won't be getting it. And as she works in a care home this is irresponsible.

Things might be easier when the Oxford vaccine is approved I suppose. The Pfizer one is about to run out anyway.

PrincessNutNuts · 19/12/2020 18:59

The over 80s I know haven't had the vaccine yet.

It's unrealistic to expect all 3.2 million over 80s to be vaccinated any time soon isn't it,

With enough vaccine for 400,000 people?

An no more Pfizer Biontech vaccine coming until March

taybert · 19/12/2020 19:10

Well said @Sidge, you saved me a lot of typing! We’re starting ours on Monday- the work required has been immense, I feel incredibly proud of how it has been managed by primary care and astounded by how slick it all is. It’s an absolute feat.
Sending GP solidarity 👊

MNHQ
LilyMumsnet · 20/12/2020 13:26

Hi folks

Can we just clarify that King's college isn't offering walk-ins. Please take a look at their twitter post here for further information.

chantico · 20/12/2020 13:26

An no more Pfizer Biontech vaccine coming until March

Is that for sure?

iolaus · 20/12/2020 13:43

@ImAllOut

Aneurin Bevan can't even staff their hospital, they declared an emergency and have cancelled everything. I'd be really surprised if they had anywhere near a grasp on a vaccine rollout.
Exactly they are in dire straights - I keep getting emails off them asking if I will pick up shifts because they are so short (I used to work for them but now work for a neighbouring health board)
Frankley · 20/12/2020 13:58

80 year old l know, had not contacted anybody, got a phone call yesterday. Appointments booked, first jab Wednesday. Buckinghamshire.

PrincessNutNuts · 20/12/2020 14:00

@chantico

An no more Pfizer Biontech vaccine coming until March

Is that for sure?

Jeremy Hunt says so.
PrincessNutNuts · 20/12/2020 14:03

Pfizer say they are scheduled shipments "before March"

PrincessNutNuts · 20/12/2020 14:08

As far as I can tell we got 800,000 doses of Pfizer-Biontech so 400,000 people will get their first jab in December and second jab in January. But that's it.

No wonder the government are hoping Astra Zeneca is approved soon.

https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/19/uk-covid-vaccine-stock-will-run-out-next-month-jeremy-hunt-warns-13776485/amp/?twitterrimpression=true

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-coronavirus-vaccine-firm-rubbish-23192663.amp?twitterrimpression=true