Can’t get Flu Jab From Pharmacy

[Cherryblossom99]

Hi all, amid reports of a rise in severe flu cases I have been looking to try and get a flu jab, however I cannot seem to find any pharmacies online offering them.
I do have an underlying medical condition, but I don’t think it is covered under the eligibility criteria. I’m now panicking that I’m going to get flu. Is anyone else having difficulties trying to get a jab?

You need to start thinking about this in October really if you are vulnerable but I got mine at Tesco a month ago

I’ve deffo learnt for next year! 🙈

I’m in NI too and struggling to get a vaccine for my 17yo DS. He’s at college rather than school, so wasn’t in the position of being offered it automatically. I had him booked for a branch of Boots in Lisburn (which isn’t exactly on our doorstep) on 29th December and got a phone call on Friday to say it was cancelled because they had run out of vaccines. Slightly disconcerting when you consider that’s three weeks away and I can only assume they aren’t expecting anymore, otherwise why not wait and see before cancelling? I’m going to ring round a few pharmacies tomorrow, but I’m not very hopeful. I had mine a couple of weeks ago, but DS was at college and I couldn’t get an appointment for when he was home.

Lots of people with a chronic condition won't be eligible for it on the NHS though. If it is something you feel is important then you need to take the lead and sort it yourself via a pharmacy. It's less than £20. Anyone can go and get one.

I booked an appointment with Tesco pharmacy yesterday for tomorrow. £16 as I’m not eligible for a free jab

I appreciate this is no help for this year but you can register with Boots pharmacy to be told when you can book a flu jab for next year.

Yes, Boots in Lisburn was one I tried to book online and they were showing no appointments online for the next month

That’s what I’m trying to organise. I don’t mind paying the £20, it’s finding a chemist that are still offering them

Partner and I tried the same for the weekend, when not working. Absolutely nothing available - haven't tried on a weekday. Hopefully somewhere for you OP!

I'm old so qualify for free because of age and the NHS sent reminders in August and we had ours in early September.

@Cherryblossom99 A chronic condition isn't a reason in itself, it depends what your medical condition is. If you are eligible for one free, you should have been contacted . Keep ringing around and also look at clinics that offer private travel vaccinations- sometimes they have them.

Have you goggled in your area? Many pharmacies have online booking which is better than phoning.

Tesco £16
Asda £14.97
Boots £21.95

It's not the cost, it's finding stock that is the issue.

Where are you located?

@BIWI thank you I was going to ask this !

Northern Ireland, not too far out from Belfast

Randox Health is a private provider and has some availability this week near Belfast.£21

https://randoxhealth.com/en-GB/product/male/clinic/flu-vaccination?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21401418856&gbraid=0AAAAAou2O9C_aQDGtQMHxV5pZTAk46k4q&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyZ6T6oKskQMV8ZJQBh0cljvwEAAYASAAEgIQn_D_BwE

@Minty25 interesting !I never knew they had different strength doses !

Fantastic! Thank you. Will have a look again, had checked Randox earlier but Belfast wasn’t showing

Or here
https://pharmadoctor.co.uk/patient/pharmacy-finder/54.59728500000001/-5.93012/4/0/ChIJO4rQ1_3_YEgRMcXH7ywWVy4/0/0/0/0/1

I also forgot to get it sorted ( I am eligible) and came down with flu this week. I'll also be more on it next year! It wasn't severe for me, if that reassures you until you can get it done. Just a couple of days in bed with a mild fever and a lingering cough.

Boots Donegal place has an appointment at 10 in the morning

I nearly posted here because I couldn't get one locally in September

I was curious to know if other pharmacies were having supply issues

I was going to head into London to get one on one of my meeting days, but then luckily I found someone. She said that if I didn't come in that day that I had phoned her, there was a risk they would run out too

They were running a walk-in and she said she only had three left. Luckily, I was able to get a bus there.

don't know if there's a supply issue generally but it certainly looks like one in my area

online was really weird for private vaccines. Funnily enough, I used to be on the list for an NHS one but I have fallen off it - I'm guessing they've tightened the criteria.

It's fine, I don't mind paying for it and I'm lucky that I can

I'm just wondering if there's a supply problem - or it could be a case of not knowing where to look. I wouldn't have thought to look under a private health group.

How are you getting appointments to show up? Mine is just saying ‘no appointments’ everyday till the end of the month

Edited to remove my post as just seen you’re not in England, sorry!

You need to phone around the pharmacies, most smaller ones don't have online booking options so you won't know if available unless you contact them directly.

Even chains/franchises don't always have their websites set up correctly. Our village pharmacy is a "well" franchise and neither flu nor covid vaccines appear available if you do a web search, yet, I just asked when I went in for my prescription and they offered to do both there and then, the flu being NHS and the covid being private (no longer eligible for NHS one). In and out, and fully jabbed, in 5 minutes!