How is the Pfizer vaccine being allocated?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I've heard strong rumours that our group of gp practices has decided not to buy the Pfizer vaccine and instead wait for the Oxford vaccine. Yet neighbouring gp cooperatives are already vaccinating in the community with the Pfizer vaccine.

Does this mean that is up to gp practices to decide which vaccines to buy into?

I feel a bit gutted that people in the neighbouring towns have already got started and with the Pfizer vaccine - which provides stronger immunity - and our town seems to have chosen to not opt in. I was so hopeful of being able to stop shielding so strongly and being able to do the same things that careful friends are doing and there now seems to be no end in sight for me. I've lost all my hope.

You need to listen to better rumours.

Google "how do GPs get the Pfizer vaccine"

Well unless you are over 80 or a frontline NHS or care worker you wouldn't be getting the vaccine any time soon in any case.

I’m in my late fifties, no underlying health conditions, I was told I would be lucky if I had the vaccine before the end of summer

I have no idea how GPs get their vaccines but I hear you.

After all the big hurrahs about the vaccines, it now feels as though it is along way off, and for shielding people (who, I would argue, have been amongst the most severely impacted and the most forgotten) it continues to be a difficult time. Keep the faith...

That's not how it works at all. Groups of practices called primary care networks decide if they have capacity to vaccinate and opt in to a contract with the health board. They don't buy the vaccine. Because of logistics some have decided they don't have capacity to do the Pfizer vaccine currently with all the difficulties with cold storage or staffing etc. Their patients will still get vaccinated, usually by the health board vaccination team or a neighbouring network. When the Oxford vaccine comes additional contracts may be offered, practices or networks will decide if they can assist with delivery. You won't get to choose which vaccine to get.

The shielded (age under 75) are in priority 4 for the vaccine, and there are about 8m in the queue ahead of that

So I think it could be a couple of months before they can even start on that category - capacity to vaccinate as much as which vaccine/s in stock

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/a4102340-Some-numbers-I-would-really-like-to-know?msgid=102485941#102485941

Thank you Newhousestress thats exactly the information I was looking for. So if my local PCN hasn't opted in, then we have to wait until a neighbouring network calls us in? I hope that doesn't slow things down for us.

Intellectually I know its a huge logistical juggling act and I know that being in group 4 puts me a long way back in the queue.

Thank you Fuzzy for being so kind. I think if you aren't shielding it must be hard to understand how soul destroying this is - to be so close and so far at the same time. Its just hit very hard today for some reason.

It wasn't down to gps to buy the vaccine but it was to accept being a hub to administer it. If yours isn't vaccinating then you'll get vaccinated by the NHS trust instead but it may be a longer wait. The shielding won't get vaccinated until after Christmas anyway, and will likely be the Oxford vaccine as that should have been approved by then and we have more of it.

The omnicalculator reckons there's about 8 or 9 million ahead of me in the queue (50, shielding category) so at best it will be beginning of February.

There should be enough doses for 20 million people to get the Pfizer vaccine? I'll have a look at Sextrainglues link.

You won't wait longer if your PCN doesn't opt in. If they've not opted in it'll be due to extreme stress on resources so they need to concentrate on normal primary care work. It's kind of not live issue until the Oxford vaccine is approved as theres only enough vaccine for the over 80's and health care workers. Once there are more supplies and the Oxford vaccine is approved there will be a wider rollout and lots of options are being looked at like using pharmacists, the Army, even vets have been asked if they can help.

Hopefully before then 🙏🏼

Here’s a link to a website that tells you where you are in the vaccination queue. I’m 33 with no underlying health issues and it says I should be vaccinated sometime between the end of June and beginning of September.

www.omnicalculator.com/health/vaccine-queue-uk

Thank you both.I've got my head together again. Just having a bit of a 'moment'. Useful to have some real information newhousestress, even if it's not what I want to hear, If I know what I'm dealing with and why, it is easier to manage.

I've no idea how accurate the calculator is, but it reckons by the end of Feb for me. Whenever it is, I'll just have to be patient, I know.

@OhYouBadBadKitten, come and join us on the "Good News Thread Part 3" ( on coronavirus board) where we discuss all things positive in the CV world. It's very heartening and full of lovely science!

We’ve had 2 texts from GP surgery, first said vaccinations would start January and they were hopeful it will be the Oxford one and that they would be doing them. Second text said they would be starting soon, but in an office block in main town centre, due to difficulty storing the vaccine.