NHS STAFF - are you getting the vaccine?

[Cinderellashoes]

Just interested. I’m a nurse on a ward and I will be getting it as soon as I can. However I worked in research for 5 years and know how strict clinical trials really are - I understand not everyone with that background would be as trusting of new drugs being developed. Where do you work, and what will you do about the vaccine?

@Aztectrousers my understanding is that you won't catch it and therefore can't pass it on

I thought that you could still catch it but the symptoms would be less severe. If so, couldn’t you still pass it on so would have to isolate etc? Sorry I haven’t researched this very well.

Office admin person working in clinical trials. I won't be chasing the vaccine team round the hospital queuing up to have it, but will accept it if I'm offered it. I have slight concerns about the lack of follow-up data collected, but I think catching COVID would be more likely to give me long-term side effects.

Haematologist
Definitely

Admin here. I will get it as soon as I can. Not patient facing, but go in patient areas.

A paid survey?

@bearandowl I like my evidence peer reviewed and not from Buzzfeed!

I would need more info to make a definite decision, but I expect that I will, yes. For those concerned about long term effects, you really need to reflect on potential long term effects of covid. Eg my neighbour had it in April and still cannot physically get out of bed. I realise that isn't long term yet, but what does the future hold for her? I think we need to weigh up what we don't know about the vaccine with what we don't know about covid and take a balanced view.

I am currently recovering from covid and would need to weigh up my timing of getting it, I think I would want to feel fully recovered first. So I might prefer to wait a few months, if that is an option. Hopefully we will get some guidance on that though. I had the flu vaccine shortly before I contracted covid and I have no idea if that contributed to me being so unwell. After all, there has to be a 3-4 week gap between having the flu and covid vaccines. So that is the only thing I am anxious about.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the clinical trials, I always feel for you when I read these threads.

Ex-NHS admin here. In my Trust we could barely get 60% of staff to get their flu jab despite repeated requests from management and plenty of staff clinics on offer. I'm quite worried that if the covid jab uptake follows this trend then it will still leave a significant number of staff and patients at risk. Obviously you can never get 100% of people because of medical exemptions but 60% was utterly pathetic and I could never understand why clinical staff who ought to know better would refuse it without good reasons.

There were a shocking amount of anti vax HCPs at my workplace.

As a civilian I'm really happy to see so many NHS staff in all manner of roles say yes.
Very reassuring indeed.

Yes I am as soon as it’s available.
I sit on a committee for approvals of certain trials so understand the process this would have been through.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the clinical trials, I always feel for you when I read these threads.

Yes thank you to everyone who took part, you are wonderful.

I would (community nurse) but I am pregnant. Hoping I can get it as soon as baby is born

2 pharmacists in this house, (one is a former clinical trials assessor) Yes and Yes.

@Autumnspice curious, how long does your committee usually take to approve trials for other medications? How long is needed to verify and properly test before being stamped good to go?

This is great. Thank you to the government too, for providing wonderful indemnity to vaccine companies to get this rolled out. Thanks everyone standing in the front line.

I work in public health and I'm undecided.

One of the biggest factors to me is how political this whole thing has become. If people are 'forced' to have the vaccine to resume normal activities, I would fundamentally oppose that.

I'm not an anti-vaxer or conspiracist but I think mass vaccinations to resume daily life and re-gain civil liberties as has been proposed is maybe a step too far for me, and undermines so much of what I stand for personally.

So, I'm really not sure!

(At work we have been told to prepare for the roll-out from 7th December and we are counted as front-line staff)

I had a text yesterday from GP re potential roll out asking us to reply only if we work in health and social care and in what role. I replied immediately that I do.

I cannot wait.

Resounding yes here, can't wait until it's rolled out. I'm admin in a health centre working directly with district nurses who are out visiting everyone including covid patients. Dh is a key worker too (not nhs) and is immunosuppressed so I'll do almost anything to not pass it on to him or dc.

I'm hoping that they'll be looking for staff secondments to help administer the programme - I'm very interested in doing this.

pharmacist, yes.

Research nurse....definitely

I am frontline nhs and also in a higher risk category due to my age (> 50)

I have had Covid myself back in May and barely lost a stride at the time but am now having some unexpected outcomes. I welcome the vaccines and will be having it.

Yes I really want to have a vaccine so I can travel.

I'm undecided. I 100% want it but I'm not sure whether to get it due to TTC...should I get it and if I get pregnant soon after just hope for the best that it won't affect the baby or wait until after I've conceived and given birth? I'm not sure which is the best option. I'm non-clinical but patient facing