To think there is no chance 18 million will be boosted by 31 Dec?

[JadedJabber]

Name changed for this as would be outing with previous posts.

Am I alone in feeling quite angry that Boris Johnson has announced what is likely to be an unreachable target and will be causing untold pressure and stress in the primary and secondary care workforces who are already exhausted?

I was very closely involved in the rollout of phases 1 and 2 of the vaccine programme last winter/ spring for a large NHS trust. Everyone was 100% committed to the vaccines and our workforce was incredible despite a lot of challenges particularly around the time taken to train as a vaccinator and disruption to business as usual in the trust. Despite that the best day was c800K jabs and most were significantly less.
Johnson has glibly talked about training 1000’s of new vaccinators. Well unless the mandatory training is axed to a fraction of what is was earlier this year that will be impossible.

It seems so easy for him to make these pronouncements without any thought as to how this will actually play out in practice.

I can’t see the (exhausted and less motivated) workforce suddenly expanding and then working 12 + hours a day from now until 31 Dec, including Christmas. It just sets everyone up for failure.

I think Boris is an utter knob and has royally shat all over NHS staff. He's basically said "I know you are all over worked, under paid and already on your knees but here's a shit load more pressure on you at the one time of the year that you want to prioritise yourselves and your families for once". It's a fucking disgrace.

Buuut I do think that people saying "well I've tried to book today and couldn't get an appointment until January so of course its not going to happen" are being a bit premature. He's only just made the announcement, the people who are going to have to coordinate and implement this huge vaccine rollout have only just found out themselves. I think it's fair to give them a few days to sort everything out before dismissing the whole idea. I'm sure that more appointments will become available soon and that there will be more capacity at drop in vaccination centres. And of course the NHS site is going to be completely overwhelmed with people trying to get on and book, it's common sense really. It's better to wait a few days then try again. Obviously the government really should have thought of this before making a big announcement though 🙄

Do I think it's a realistic target? No, not really but I do think that the booster rollout will be majorly ramped up and so many more people will get their boosters a lot sooner. Which is a good thing at the end of the day 🤷‍♀️

@sotiredofthislonelylife

But haven’t over 20 million already had boosters??

Yes but since mid-September, so over about three months. 18 million before the end of the month is a massive number.

@SickAndTiredAgain school nurses do gibe vaccinations but they're all busy vaccinating the 12-15 year olds, plus delivering all the other vaccines to school age children that they had to so pre Covid. A lot of ours work overtime at the vaccination centres, but they're exhausted, as are all healthcare staff.

I booked my jab at 4am this morning for weds at 11:05, loads of choice of dates and times available (Peterborough queensgate centre) for anyone that may be local enough to want to try it

Alas………… 😂

I work in a hub and no, it’s not going to happen.

Maybe if they didn’t rush to close down the big vaccination hubs, scaling back all the systems, we won’t be here. But hey covid finished on freedom day in July.,, so there!

Not a chance in hell. My housebound DM at 85 has been in the queue for well over a month. Surgery confirmed today that they have no vaccines and DM is at the bottom of that queue.

There are so many people who haven't had the opportunity of a first jab and DM's carers are all triple jabbed. She can wait ..

I'm over 40. I just got a text to say my booster appointment for this Thursday (booked several weeks ago) has been cancelled. 🤷‍♀️

What seems to be forgotten is that all the extra volunteer vaccinators in the world are irrelevant if there aren't enough registered healthcare professionals, volunteer or paid, to do the screening and assessing.
Where do they think these people are coming from?

I’m 55 and had to wait 3 weeks for an appt. I get mine on Saturday.
I’ve had a text every day since from my GP surgery to get the booster 🙄

We have a vaccination place in our town. Drove past today and it was closed.

@choirmumoftwo

What seems to be forgotten is that all the extra volunteer vaccinators in the world are irrelevant if there aren't enough registered healthcare professionals, volunteer or paid, to do the screening and assessing. Where do they think these people are coming from?

The Navy.

My husband was booked in for sunday, but just went to a centre this afternoon and walked in and got his booster. Maybe it's a location shortage in some areas?

There is more chance of the Queen doing a striptease after her speech than 18 million boosters by New Year.
Boris bullshitting us yet again.

I want the next jab to be aspirated. I don't want anyone drawing blood again.
I hate needles. I've spent a long time working on my phobia to have them really freak me out. I don't really want this booster. Or the next one or even the one after that

I got astrazeneca. The first one one of the 'odd' ones that made in India. Now they're not using AZ for boosters. What an I supposed to think?
I'm not convinced that jabbing people with random combinations of different vaccines and expecting us to believe it's been tested properly for any length of time is just a nonsense.
Do these concerns make me anti-vax?
The WHO says boosters for old and vulnerable only. The Zoe data govt guy says the same. Screw Boris.

I would rather people got to see a GP about other stuff than my GP be dragged away to do vaccinations.

@mumda
I want the next jab to be aspirated. I don't want anyone drawing blood again. I hate needles.

I’m sorry you have a needle phobia. However all nasal spray vaccines use attenuated live viruses. Covid is too dangerous to be administered live (even weakened) in a nasal vaccine.

I'm pretty sure the BBC said it was booking before 31st. There are people I know who couldn't get an appointment until January before this latest announcement.

@Babybooboodedoo

Looking at the data and modelling, this is not about politics. It’s necessary for public health. It’s a mammoth effort to protect people from dying and services from collapsing. Unfortunately I think more restrictions are inevitable (personal view looking at data available in public domain).

Partly yes, but partly it is politics - if the Tories hadn't been deliberately underfunding the NHS for years and getting it ready for full privatisation, then it wouldn't be at such risk of collapsing.

Why Labour aren't hammering this point home, I have no idea.

I dug out Johnson’s actual words on Sunday. He said:

‘Everyone eligible aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the new year.’

The South African doctor who is maintaining omicron is much milder than delta is not just a random GP, she is the chairman of the South African equivalent of the BMA so hopefully has a good overview of the bigger picture. Fingers crossed it may ultimately turn out to be mild.

Sorry, here’s the full transcript and video from Sunday:

www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-ministers-address-to-the-nation-on-booster-jabs-12-december-2021

@JadedJabber

I dug out Johnson’s actual words on Sunday. He said:

‘Everyone eligible aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the new year.’

The South African doctor who is maintaining omicron is much milder than delta is not just a random GP, she is the chairman of the South African equivalent of the BMA so hopefully has a good overview of the bigger picture. Fingers crossed it may ultimately turn out to be mild.

Interesting, as that's not what they were saying on the radio this morning. The presenter on Radio 4 while I was making breakfast, was putting Dominic Raab under some pressure for the government only saying everyone would be "offered" a jab before the new year and what that means in reality.

Dominic Rabb didn't say "no, actually, we mean everyone will get a jab before January" he was slippery with his words.

I suspect Boris is trying to boost his popularity at a difficult time for him but he's not a details man, is he? And "will have the chance " is open to interpretation.

Perhaps I'm being overly cynical but I don't trust him as far as I can spit!

razzledfragglefromfragglerock

Well I've just booked mine for January as there was no other appointments so if they mean this they'll not only have to invite everyone they'll also have to change a lot of appointments already booked!“

He was careful in his announcement. He said “offered” by the end of the month. Nothing about how long after that offer the actual jab would happen.

I’m optimistic, though. The NHS/services/pharmacies and volunteers are running the programme, not the blithering idiot in Downing Street.
Will be on first thing tomorrow to book our adult kids in (18 and 26). If our experience (mid 60s and late 50s) is repeated, they be jabbed within a couple of days (NW).

I’m a volunteer—mainly checking in and helping calculate no-shows so doses and vials can be worked out at the end. I’m doing four shifts before Christmas Eve. While juggling my own job and preparing for Christmas. Ditto my husband. We are delighted to help at our centres, but can’t see how this target can possibly be met. There aren’t as many volunteers now because not all of them are self-employed and reasonably flexible with work hours like me. They just can’t do it in the way they could last winter.

oneglassandpuzzled

I’m a volunteer—mainly checking in and helping calculate no-shows so doses and vials can be worked out at the end. I’m doing four shifts before Christmas Eve“”

Thank you.