To wonder if lack of covid boosters this Autumn is government cost cutting

[Hulabalu]

And if it is cost cutting , isn’t it a short sighted one? The more people get sick the more the cost to /,strain on NHS?

And wouldn’t it be sensible to “run a please be considerate and wear a mask if you have symptoms?” campaign . Not just for Covid but a cold / cough / sore throat ?

It’s the JCVI that are the issue, not the government. They just followed the recommendations, which I would expect most governments to do. It’s quite likely to come back and bite them on the arse.

This has been the JCVI’s direction of travel for a while and IIRC from the reasoning from when they make the decision they don’t take the economics into account or long covid.

Oh I see. I didn’t know this .not sure what IRC stands for .

IIRC means if I remember correctly.

I’m considering paying for the booster. It’s about £100 though which is a bit expensive. I wonder why so much ? compared with flu jab etc ?

And wouldn’t it be sensible to “run a please be considerate and wear a mask if you have symptoms?” campaign . Not just for Covid but a cold / cough / sore throat ?
Depends what you mean by 'wear a mask'?
Proper actual masks that are effective or the shoddy grim things people wore in the last mask mandate?
A request or legal obligation?
Can imagine would just be another round of 'I'm mask exempt but noone else should be to protect ME!!!'.

I got a letter inviting my son for a covid booster just the other day because he's immunocompromised.

The correlation between mask wearers and inadequate individuals is strong.

It’s hard not to have a negative opinion of many of those who wear them.

I pretty much only see elderly people wearing them, who are likely concerned for their health. How delightful of you, to call them inadequate.

If people want to wear a mask, let them. What difference does it make to you?

You are right OP. Even healthcare staff are not being offered a booster unless they are over 75, or meet the specific criteria for immunocompromised. My dh (hospital Doc), is nearly 60, no booster for him, this week two of his colleagues from his team are off poorly with Covid. And I don’t just mean they tested positive, I mean properly poorly. This has meant cancelling outpatient clinics and procedure lists.

Boots are £98 but independent chemists are cheaper. In my area £73 was the cheapest I found.

And I agree this government cost cutting is short sighted.

I currently have covid and it has been horrific. Far worse than when I had it first time around back in 2022.

Seems to be rampaging through my office with tons of people off with it so I think we're in for a grim autumn and winter.

I never understand why they don’t offer the flu jab to everyone over 50. They are the people still working, likely looking after older parents.
GP surgeries are well set up for mass vaccinations after covid, I know they did this for a couple of years while Covid was at it’s peak , to stop just seems really short sighted.

Oh yeah this too!

Nooones said said those who want to wear masks can't, as is quoted in @Treetop111 CopperWhites quote of @CopperWhite
People are still free to wear a mask if they want but no one else needs to be pressured into it.
Just that people don't want to be forced to use ineffective breathing restrictors.

Why would people who choose to wear masks care about other people's opinions of them?

Everyone I know who has had this current strain has been very ill. I just bought a private vaccine because I don't have time to waste with illness over the next few months.

I never said they should.

I think it is a largely economic decision based on hospitalisation risk (cost of) vs cost of boosters.

I am trying to get a private booster and there's none available in my town of 100k people! I have to travel an hour to get one. Annoying.

Masks I think have to be an individual choice because the empirical evidence suggests they don’t do much- I lived in HK during covid and there was a 100% mask mandate, inside and outside and as close to 💯 compliance as you will ever get anywhere. Once covid got into HK it spread just as fast as anywhere else. I understand why people wear them and it’s always been a thing to wear one in Asia when you have a cold/ cough in HK and maybe it makes a tiny difference but at population level, doesn’t make enough gf difference to justify the downsides.

During the first covid outbreak my dh was told to shield , we were given free delivery passes to a few large food shops , and amusingly , send food parcels ( we gave those to the food banks )
He also ended up qualifying for covid boosters , and sadly due to a condition , I did too .
Fast forward to this year , not over 75 , and not immune suppressed ( but our previous conditions still here ) but suddenly the government decides we don't need them , only flu .
So at a cost of £80 each , dh and I , have paid for a private one this year .

I can't one on the NHS this either and can't book privately as I can find nowhere local. I'm pregnant, just getting over pneumonia have blood clots and my chest is still really bad, I'm dreading catching it

Inadequate individuals😂😂😂😂😂

My GPs do regular mass vaccinations on Saturdays at this time of year. This year they called in over 65s for both flu and covid vaccinations, then had to take time explaining to all the 65-75s why they couldn't't have the covid one after all.