DF 87 still not been invited for vaccination

[eastegg]

Getting a bit impatient. I didn't get my hopes too high to start with but every time I speak to someone with a relative over 80 they have had it. He and DM (only 75 but vulnerable due to a stroke at the beginning of the year) have seen my DC, their only GC, once since last Christmas. I thought I was being reasonable hoping they would be protected by early February but I'm now wondering whether they will.

Anyone else out there waiting and wondering? Is there a shortage in some areas? They are in Greater Manchester, ironically under the cosh lockdown wise for much of the year and now seemingly in short supply of the vaccine! I know we have to be patient but we've been patient for so long.

Just venting really, I know no-one has the answer.

I took my mum for her vaccine last week and FIL had his too. I felt so sorry for the staff trying to keep momentum and control with a long queue of extremely elderly pensioners. It was like herding cats.

Anyone with a relative who doesn’t do texts / mobile should be registering their own number with the Gp instead. All the healthcare notifications we get come via text. It’s a massive pain but clearly the way it is now.

They're doing them in strict age order where my DPs live. Uncle (94) and Dad (91) were called in earlier in the week. Mum (81) asked if she could have hers at the same time too as she'd have to drive Dad there and it was a long/awkward drive (for her) so she wanted them both to be done at the same time. They agreed so they've both been done. None of her friends in her 80s have been called in yet. They do live in an area with lots of older/retired people though so I guess it's just taking time to work through them all.

There were only 800000 doses in the first batch, so that's enough for 400000 people which comes no where near covering all the over 85 year olds.
I wonder if 85+ who have existing health conditions are being vaccinate first.
I have two over 85 relatives and the were both called for vaccination. Unfortunately one of them was not allowed to have the vaccine as he has had a severe allergy to aspirin in the past.

It sounds like a logistical nightmare. And then the need to get people back in 4 weeks for the 2nd one. And trying to communicate an appointment at short notice with over 80s perhaps at a location they are reliant on someone else getting them to.

My Inlaws in Oxfordshire and friends Inlaws in Suffolk have had theirs.

As much transparency and information from the government and in turn GP surgeries helps alleviate people's angst. Just saying wait to be called, makes people worry they've been forgotten. Communicating information such as given above by the person who works at the GP surgery - 80 doses given to 1/4 of randomly chosen 80+ year olds - gives people more of an idea of when they might be contacted.

I just checked my local gp website and there's nothing on there at all. Even if they haven't been sent a supply yet, they should say that on there. Or if another hub will be set up to vaccinate patients, let people know that on the website.

Iv been doing the vaccines... it's not as simple as the flu jab either unfortunately, there is a lot of screening to do and then a 15 minute monitoring period with social distancing.. so each appointment for us is taking much longer.

As you can imagine there is the added difficulty of frailty, wearing layers because of the weather, communicating the questions with masks on etc. Think 6 teams of us did a total of 400 jabs yesterday, out of somewhere in the region of 10,000 elderly patients.

It's going to be a long journey I'm afraid xx

My Dad had a call a week ago for him and my mum to go and he said he wanted to wait a while to make sure it was all ok (no idea why!!) so I bet he’s now gone to the back of the queue!

@CarryOnFestiveNamechanging Yeah, hopefully it should be soon. It seems quite random.

Anyone who has elderly relatives make sure they are registered at a gp surgery and tell them to accept any appointment they are given, sort out travel later.

There was an article in the Times by Mark Porter, whose surgery is doing the vaccines saying that they can actually get 6 vaccines out of each vial rather than 5, so they could do more than they thought - at the end of one day they had 42 doses left and rang around and used them all up!

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dr-mark-porter-on-life-as-a-covid-19-vaccine-doctor-no-queues-and-good-spirits-9d2bzqwfw

He says they've vaccinated 5% of their local population and are on track to have vaccinated 1 in 7 of their priority patients by the first week in January. He appears to work for a particularly well-run surgery. He also says they are phoning people to book them in.

I know a lot of surgeries have said they can't do it, but if they can give flu vaccines, why not this? Is it because people have to hang around for 15 minutes?

I've the added complication of dmum relocating in the new year 220 miles to be nearer us. She is 80. Her 83 year old neighbour has had his first so has his wife but she has heart problems. I'm doubtful about the logistics of having first dose in one place and then second elsewhere. It's fair to say that it's a conversation I have had too many times given there is no way of actually answering it

@cologne4711

There was an article in the Times by Mark Porter, whose surgery is doing the vaccines saying that they can actually get 6 vaccines out of each vial rather than 5, so they could do more than they thought - at the end of one day they had 42 doses left and rang around and used them all up!

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dr-mark-porter-on-life-as-a-covid-19-vaccine-doctor-no-queues-and-good-spirits-9d2bzqwfw

He says they've vaccinated 5% of their local population and are on track to have vaccinated 1 in 7 of their priority patients by the first week in January. He appears to work for a particularly well-run surgery. He also says they are phoning people to book them in.

I know a lot of surgeries have said they can't do it, but if they can give flu vaccines, why not this? Is it because people have to hang around for 15 minutes?

Read my post it might answer your questions... also, regarding the 6th dose, it's not ALWAYS available so you couldn't rely on it.. our centre is using the 6th dose for staff when available so we don't take any doses away from the public xx

My 97YO nan hasn't had her invitation yet (central London), and the only two people I know who've had the vaccine are a midwife (30s) who has long COVID, and a vaccination volunteer (50s).

There are not enough doses of the Pfizer vaccine for all 80+ people.

The Pfizer vaccine is not very stable. Kept very cold until used. Then I think 4 days to be used up. Can't be moved much at all when defrosted. People have to travel to it not the other way round.

We need the Oxford vaccine. Much more stable so it can travel. Loads of doses in the country. Fingers crossed it gets approved on 28th.

My local volunteer hub has been asking for people to sign up for shifts to help manage queues and do other non-health work at the vaccination hubs. They’ve got one open, aiming for another two next week - using the big practices with lots of space.

So if you would be able to do four hours a week volunteering (that’s the minimum they’re asking for here) and want to speed things up, it would be worth checking if your area has something similar.

I know loads of elderly people who’ve had it.

Patience is the key. It must be so frustrating for medical personnel to have to deal with belligerent patients.

Italy vaccinated their first person yesterday so we are doing quite well!

Btw I have no truck with people of 80 who have their mental faculties who are not online. I don’t know anyone elderly who does not know how to send/receive emails/shop online/read Daily Mail (!) .

You do not need a smartphone or to be an ace hacker on the dark web - basic it skills are vital in today’s world.

My nan has her mental faculties but doesn't use email, as her arthritis means she can't type. She has a Portal and can video chat on that, but can't hear it when it rings so she has to call us.

@DreamingofaShiteChristmas

My parents are in their 80s, with stroke and heart failure between them, and have heard nothing.

I too am wondering whether, like so many things, it’s a bit of a postcode lottery.

Only 1/3 of the GP surgeries are in a PCN that is currently vaccinating, most aren't. Ours doesn't start until mid January but the next town over had already started.

Please be patient - you slow the staff down with endless phone calls finding out when it will be

A male relation in my family has been called up - he's 80. In the same borough is my 87 yr old Nan, who has had nothing! No idea quite how they work it out. Different GP surgeries perhaps.

@GwendolineWindowlene
whispers are early next week. Yeah I definitely read somewhere that there were already 4/5 million stockpiled and ready to go. Also I think it will be manufactured in the UK so no border issues to worry about.

Nothing for my 98 year old gran in Manchester yet.
Or my 92 year old nan in Lancashire either.

@CarryOnFestiveNamechanging

My parents, also in Greater Manchester, haven’t had the vaccine. They’re mid 80s and both have had hospital appointments in the last week or so. My father was told by his GP that the only place in the area that has the vaccine and the cold storage facilities are only available in Stockport, and they are nowhere near there. No idea if that’s true.

My neighbours had it yesterday (Leicestershire).

Stockport is one of only two GM hospitals that have it, (Salford is the other I think) but they also started community vaccination (no idea if it's being supplied by the hospital or separately). I'm in Stockport and many over 80s and HCPs have been vaccinated here. Unfortuntely I do think it's a bit of a postcode lottery atm.