Our friends aged 50+ have had the vaccine - how?

[OnlyTeaForMe]

We have friends, a couple, aged 56/59 who have been very cautious throughout the pandemic, particularly as they have her 87 year old father living with them.

DH met the husband for a walk last week, and as they were leaving their front garden said to my friend (the wife), "don't worry, we'll keep well apart!". Her husband blurted out "oh don't worry, we've had our first jab now!" and his wife shot him a look then apparently said something about it being because they lived with her elderly dad who was at risk.

We know them fairly well, and I'm pretty sure that they wouldn't qualify on the basis of any of their own underlying health conditions, although their ethnicity puts them at slightly higher risk.

Is this the case, do family members of the vulnerable get it at the same time?

If you are in Scotland this would be within the protocols. Unpaid carers are being prioritised.

We're not in Scotland.

I know with the Pfizer vaccine surgeries were giving it to anyone available at the end of the day when no-shows meant they would have wasted vaccines otherwise. However the fact that both of them have had it suggests to me that this isn't the case for them.

Well unless you are willing to ask...

Maybe they attended with the dad and they had some left overs from no shows or people who attended who couldn’t get it due to allergies etc.I would rather ever dose was used, I think it is only a couple of hours after it is drawn into a syringe before it is unusable.

Vaccine rollout won’t be perfect because to put in the bureaucracy to stop any missteps would slow the process down. Hopefully there won’t be large scale “cheating” of the system.

I thought in England it was over 80’s, nhs and care home staff initially?

I’m not sure if they are using up the doses on whoever is around if they have surplus at the end of the day though as that would be better than wasting it?

I'd be more worried that they think getting the first jab means they can't spread it, they can!

@Silvergreen

I'd be more worried that they think getting the first jab means they can't spread it, they can!

Well, yes, exactly!

DH said there was definitely an "oh shit" moment when the husband looked as if he realised he shouldn't have mentioned it. That's what made us curious.

I can't see there is any way they could have "cheated" the system. As pp said, maybe they benefitted from some no shows. Or perhaps they are NHS staff?

yes - they both work in healthcare. One for an NHS trust (office job) and the other as a medic in a company.

Both working from home for the last 9 months.

Instead of expecting a bunch of strangers on the Internet to work out why your "friends" have had a vaccine maybe you could ask them?

I would think it reasonable as care homes staff get in at the same time as residents and they also work in health care.

@OnlyTeaForMe

yes - they both work in healthcare. One for an NHS trust (office job) and the other as a medic in a company.

Isn't that your answer then?

As far as I am aware, unpaid carers qualify for group 6 vaccination when the person they provide care for is 16-65 - this would be before their age group in any case. There will be geographical variations of how quickly groups are worked through.

However unpaid carers for over 80s are likely to qualify earlier. This makes sense and has been campaigned for by Carers UK.

I know someone who isn't eligible yet but has had one due to no-shows. She was contacted by a friend of hers who was doing the vaccinations.

I think it's perfectly fair. The more people who are vaccinated the better.

In my area health care workers and staff at doctors surgery's have had the vaccine so sounds right to me.

@OnlyTeaForMe

yes - they both work in healthcare. One for an NHS trust (office job) and the other as a medic in a company.

There you go then. Perhaps they also have underlying health conditions.

My 86 YO MIL who is in a care home hasn’t had it, and the staff have no idea when it’s due to arrive there.This is in Wales.

The more people who are vaccinated the better

Exactly. People on here moan about having to lockdown to protect the over 50s, so it makes sense to get the vaccine into many of them as possible as soon as possible.

@HPLikecraft

My 86 YO MIL who is in a care home hasn’t had it, and the staff have no idea when it’s due to arrive there.This is in Wales.

They have started to roll it out for care home residents here in Wales, so hopefully your MIL won't have to wait too long.

They're not frontline healthcare workers though and haven't been to their places of work for nine months?

What qualifies as a 'carer'?
Her father lives independently in an annexe to their house.

I will ask her next time I speak to her, but I was just curious how they might have qualified. Perhaps, as you say, they were just in the right place at the right time for some spare vaccine?

I know with the Pfizer vaccine surgeries were giving it to anyone available at the end of the day when no-shows meant they would have wasted vaccines otherwise.

Not heard that, how do you know and how would they find 'anyone available' ?

A friend of my mums was due the vaccine when they called him to schedule they asked if he lived alone, he said he lives with his wife (15 years younger) and they said she could come along too so they both got vaccinated. My dad had his first but my mum wasn't offered one, same area, same doctors surgery🤷🏽‍♀️

@butterpuffed

I know with the Pfizer vaccine surgeries were giving it to anyone available at the end of the day when no-shows meant they would have wasted vaccines otherwise.

Not heard that, how do you know and how would they find 'anyone available' ?

Friend who is a nurse at a health centre!

@OnlyTeaForMe

They're not frontline healthcare workers though and haven't been to their places of work for nine months?

What qualifies as a 'carer'?
Her father lives independently in an annexe to their house.

I will ask her next time I speak to her, but I was just curious how they might have qualified. Perhaps, as you say, they were just in the right place at the right time for some spare vaccine?

They may not be on the frontline, but if they and lots of other "backroom" staff get ill that could impact on the service they provide.

You don't have to live in the same house/building as someone to be their carer. The goverrnment recognises this which is why a carer can claim Carer's Allowance whether or not they live with the person they care for.

I am sensing some resentment on your part OP.

Their work explains it, possibly along with being in the right place at the right time (stock leftover at the end of the day).

There has been a problem local to me with people that don't qualify booking appointment slots. The link was posted on FB so some decided to chance it. I'm not sure if any of them were refused or how many attempted to get one. The local surgery posted to ask people to stop booking, but didn't seem to be able to stop it.