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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Vaccination appt - organisation

53 replies

butimariot · 30/01/2022 10:47

I'll preface this by saying I adore the NHS and am aware that everyone is working flat out and things are tough.

My booster appt was at 10am. There are roughly 100 people in the queue in front of me, all with an appt time of 10am. There are 2 people jabbing in a v small vax clinic.

Why organise things like this? I get there will be an element of no shows etc but to give well over 100 people the same appt time just seems so stupid.

Lots f v elderly people in this queue, it's about 4 degrees where I am, no sun, and it's very cold. I just don't get it?!

I guess my AIBU is: should this not be being better organised by now?

OP posts:
IrritableOwlSyndrome · 30/01/2022 15:30

@CorrBlimeyGG

The 4th vaccine people are just about eligible now so haven't been eligible for longer than a couple of weeks if that

The OP refers to lots of very elderly people. They were offered third vaccines in early September.

Yes, so the CEV among them will be having their fourth about now, I don't think it's that unbelievable that op saw a lot of older people today as they may well be taking the earlier slot for their fourth jab. .

A CEV friend has her fourth on Tuesday, she had a two hour waiting for her third a few month ago.

Original poster
butimariot · 30/01/2022 15:30

Sounds like some people have experienced similar to me, sone haven't. I just question the organisation process, and wondered if others were thinking the same!

OP posts:
saveforthat · 30/01/2022 15:33

How do you know they were all booked in at 10

IrritableOwlSyndrome · 30/01/2022 15:36

@butimariot

Sounds like some people have experienced similar to me, sone haven't. I just question the organisation process, and wondered if others were thinking the same!
My dh had a 90 min wait a month ago, a friend had two hours, her son had an hour.

When I booked dds I was told it could take about 40 mins and these were all a month or two ago so I can totally believe you had a long wait too.

Abraxan · 30/01/2022 15:39

@lljkk

even more surprising that there were so many very elderly, some of them were eligible for boosters last October ! More like August if you live in Israel.

Where are you? When family members went for their most recent covid jabs (mostly walk ins, Nov-December) they had very short Qs.

Elderly - irs likely to be a 4th vaccine for those in the most vulnerable groups, or elderly people who have vaccines delayed due to illness and/or a covid infection.

My 4th vaccine is delayed a month due to recent covid infection.

CraftyGin · 30/01/2022 15:39

@butimariot

Sounds like some people have experienced similar to me, sone haven't. I just question the organisation process, and wondered if others were thinking the same!
It might be that your centre is using more than one booking system that don't talk to one another.

There is the national service via the NHS website, but also local ones.

We certainly have this at our centre. But there aren't very many bookings on any of the systems.

Original poster
butimariot · 30/01/2022 15:41

I just want to reiterate that I'm grateful for the vaccination programme, I just thought the organisation today was poor.

OP posts:
Original poster
butimariot · 30/01/2022 15:43

@saveforthat a few of us were chatting, I asked one of the volunteer marshals who explained that they booked around 50 people at the same time regularly - but today it seemed more like double that - which I agreed with, looking at the queues!

I was in and out in 1 min for the actual jab, it was just very cold and I felt for the older people there.

OP posts:
Ellowyn · 30/01/2022 15:49

Here in the US stores such as Walmart, Safeway are playing announcement over their PA systems inviting people to go to their in-store pharmacy to get free vaccines. There are no people waiting - no queues.

Abraxan · 30/01/2022 15:49

@CorrBlimeyGG

The 4th vaccine people are just about eligible now so haven't been eligible for longer than a couple of weeks if that

The OP refers to lots of very elderly people. They were offered third vaccines in early September.

I'm vulnerable and had all my vaccines at the very first opportunity I was able to.

First - February
Second - may
Third - November

4th was due in a couple of weeks, February, but due to covid infection it's been pushed back to end Feb/March.

Although vaccines were nominally available earlier for some groups, at the start you weren't able to book them online as easily and quickly. And many elderly vulnerable had to wait for their own GP surgeries to organise them, rather than being able to sort yourself via the website.

MooSakah · 30/01/2022 15:58

Very odd. My last one was basically a walk through centre no waiting at all just a steady stream

CraftyGin · 30/01/2022 15:59

We've been doing 4th vaccines for at least a month, iirc.

CorrBlimeyGG · 30/01/2022 16:01

You said:

Lots f v elderly people in this queue

Why are you now changing your story?

MooSakah · 30/01/2022 16:04

[quote butimariot]@CorrBlimeyGG I said several, not "lots". Maybe 3 or 4. Why would I make up how long I waited for something? I genuinely do have an actual life, so this isn't something I would do. [/quote]
You said lots of v elderly people.

Was it lots? Or a few? There were 100 people ahead of you in the queue?

Toanewstart22 · 30/01/2022 16:06

Many would be drop in

Toanewstart22 · 30/01/2022 16:07

3 or 4 out of 100
Is not “lots”Confused

LakieLady · 30/01/2022 16:40

It does sound a bit disorganised tbh.

When I booked mine, at a local GP surgery, I was a bit surprised to be given an appointment time of 9.48, but they were booking them at 3-minute intervals.

When I arrived, approx 3 minutes early, there were 5 people ahead of me in the queue. Three of them went in almost immediately, and 3 minutes later, the next 3 went in. We were shown into 3 different treatment rooms, and I didn't even sit down. The nurse asked me a couple questions while I was rolling up my sleeve, gave me the shot straight away and I was back outside in moments.

I was really impressed.

Seemssounfair · 30/01/2022 16:41

Lots f v elderly people in this queue, it's about 4 degrees where I am, no sun, and it's very cold. I just don't get it?!

Did you do anything about it? Our queue wasn't too bad, it did start to rain at one point and anyone who looked visibly vulnerable went to the front of the queue when someone else in the queue suggested it, no one objected and others actively encouraged them when they appeared reluctant to queue jump.

WhenTheyComeForYou · 30/01/2022 16:44

It seems your been unlucky. My 3 have been very efficient each time.

I would expect they are planning to get 100 people vaccinated within the half hour or hour. And maybe don't want to give 10.20, 10.25 etc to avoid the problems organising the queue.

So they give 10am to everyone. It's not a big deal unless you're running late but most people would anticipate some delays, especially if you've been delayed the past 2 times.

lljkk · 30/01/2022 17:48

My house overlooks one vacc centre -- it was like a Zimmerframe festival 12-13 months ago. But never lengthy Qs that I observed. No more than a few minutes waiting outside.

There has been an on/off vacc centre 15 minutes walk away -- they sometimes had 1 hour queues about 11 months ago.

These places never had walk in appts -- walk-in appts were at a shopping centre 15 miles away. Walk-ins all very quick. I think the best place for your discussion is a local facebook page, OP, you can swap notes there with other ppl in your area who know where you mean.

Cookerhood · 30/01/2022 18:04

We are so quiet I consider going in & dragging people off the streets. No elderly, mostly youngsters having first doses so they can travel, or boosters. Some NHS staff having it so they can carry on working.

CaptainMyCaptain · 30/01/2022 18:10

@CorrBlimeyGG

Several of the people on the queue were here for 4th jabs / 2nd boosters

When did they start doing second boosters?

They are for clinically vulnerable people e.g. on immunosuppresants. They are not for most people.

I'm surprised the Vaccine Centre was so busy. I'm a volunteer steward and we only had dribs and drabs in today with no queues. Quite a few care workers getting them done at the last minute. I would have thought most elderly people would already have had their jabs by now.

MaybeHeIsMyCat · 30/01/2022 18:11

@CorrBlimeyGG

The 4th vaccine people are just about eligible now so haven't been eligible for longer than a couple of weeks if that

The OP refers to lots of very elderly people. They were offered third vaccines in early September.

Yep. And 4th vaccine isn't related to age so could be anybody really I guess!
Iamkmackered1979 · 30/01/2022 18:14

I’ve never waited for mine. Just one person ahead no queues for any of the 3. Most of our vaccine centres are walk in. There are some appointments so the walk ins are in one centre appointments in another one. All very efficient- I join the Vacc team soon too so will see first hand how it works.

Theeyeballsinthesky · 30/01/2022 18:15

Workforce is a big issue now that demand has tailed off. A lot of the vaccination teams coming from the military or NHS England recruitment have been stood down. Most of the volunteer vaccinators have gone. At our vaccination centres we’ve got hardly anyone coming forward and given the pressures in the rest of the health care system, we can’t justify having HCP standing around doing next to nothing when we can redeploy them into hospitals or primary care.

Doesn’t seem to be any reason for your clinic to be so disorganised though!

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