Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

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

131 replies

OnlyTeaForMe · 05/01/2021 14:16

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?

OP posts:
Original poster
OnlyTeaForMe · 05/01/2021 14:53

@tinselearedcow - no, not resentment. I am pleased for them, as I know she was very anxious about catching it and giving it to her dad.
Just honestly curious.

However also interested as DH has asthma and is in a bubble/ helps his 93 year-old Dad who still lives alone, so in some ways it would seem that he should equally qualify?

OP posts:
Phlip · 05/01/2021 14:54

@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' ?

A friend who is a GP and therefore qualifies for the vaccine was told to be on "standby" in case there were any doses leftover from doing a nursing home. He had to be prepared to jump in his car and drive to wherever.
TitInATrance · 05/01/2021 14:59

In my area of England rumour has it that if you attended with an elderly person you could get the vaccine, and that there is none left.

All I can say for sure is that my 87 year old mum hasn’t been able to have it yet.

CoddledAsAMommet · 05/01/2021 15:02

My 64 year old step mother has had it. She drove her mum (96) and her mum's friend (84) to have theirs. She's not an official carer but has to do a lot for them.
There was vaccine available and she was offered it.
Would you rather she rejected it and the vaccine went to waste?

Affor · 05/01/2021 15:07

@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?

You don't have to be frontline to get it at the moment. Lots of healthcare staff are being offered it. The priority tiers are an ideal order and way of structuring it. They're not enshrined.
Happychristmashohoho · 05/01/2021 15:11

I had the vaccine today and as well as us nhs staff they did also bring patients through who were there for appointments. Most looked 80+ but I did see one or 2 who looked younger. May have just looked good for their age though!

Gottaloveacardie · 05/01/2021 15:11

When 84 year FIL still hasn't heard anything about his vaccine it does seem a little unfair.

Original poster
OnlyTeaForMe · 05/01/2021 15:12

You don't have to be frontline to get it at the moment. Lots of healthcare staff are being offered it.

So a 25 year old non-patient-facing office worker in finance might be offered it, for example?

That doesn't seem right?

OP posts:
mumwon · 05/01/2021 15:12

when they have no shows in hospitals they have to use or loose the vaccine - so rather than throwing it out apparently they give it to people attending outpatients, any staff handy & as they live in the same house as someone fragile (considered as carers).
Or they were volunteers in the drug trials (good on them if thats the case)'
They probably feel embarrassed as people see them as cheating (looking at you op!) but actually it better someone gets the vaccine than it gets thrown.
When they start on the Oxford vaccine this is unlikely to happen. People who vaccinate will get the vaccination before they start (for obvious reasons) Maybe they are going to help - there are admin jobs within this system.

PickAChew · 05/01/2021 15:14

@Silvergreen

I'd be more worried that they think getting the first jab means they can't spread it, they can!
Er. No, it hasn't been proved for certain that they can't. Not the same thing.
KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 05/01/2021 15:15

My grandma is 77 my grandpa is 86, when he had his they offered it to her too, they'd had a no show and she is his carer (he also has external carers once a day as she injured her back getting him out of bed in the morning)

Longtalljosie · 05/01/2021 15:15

@OnlyTeaForMe

You don't have to be frontline to get it at the moment. Lots of healthcare staff are being offered it.

So a 25 year old non-patient-facing office worker in finance might be offered it, for example?

That doesn't seem right?

Better that than down the sink. It’ll be more equitable with the Oxford AZ jab because these situations don’t arise
zafferana · 05/01/2021 15:19

@OnlyTeaForMe

yes - they both work in healthcare. One for an NHS trust (office job) and the other as a medic in a company.
That's your answer, right there. My sister works in the office for an emergency medical provider and she has also had a vaccine, even though she doesn't come into contact with any patients. IMO it's a bit of a fiddle, but there you go. One of the limited perks of the job!
WalkingOnStarshine · 05/01/2021 15:21

Like mumwon has said, I'd think the funny look from the wife could be because she feels awkward about it. If I took an elderly person to have their jab and I was offered one to stop it going to waste, I wouldn't feel comfortable shouting about it knowing that other people should have been there first. Same if I worked in a medical role in an office.

Ask them when you next see them perhaps?

zafferana · 05/01/2021 15:25

@OnlyTeaForMe

You don't have to be frontline to get it at the moment. Lots of healthcare staff are being offered it.

So a 25 year old non-patient-facing office worker in finance might be offered it, for example?

That doesn't seem right?

Yes, you got it. My DSis is 43, healthy, no underlying conditions, office job - got the jab ahead of our 77-year-old DF who has heart disease.
Affor · 05/01/2021 15:25

@OnlyTeaForMe

You don't have to be frontline to get it at the moment. Lots of healthcare staff are being offered it.

So a 25 year old non-patient-facing office worker in finance might be offered it, for example?

That doesn't seem right?

Yes because we need NHS staff (in any capacity) in and working to keep the system functioning as best they can. With the vaccine not only will they not catch it and miss work, they also wont have to isolate for every cough.

It's not being offered to them first, but left overs at the end of the day are, rightly, going to workers in healthcare rather than the bin.

EagleFlight · 05/01/2021 15:25

I’d guess they benefitted from no shows which is a good thing because the alternative is that vaccines are wasted. They won’t have privately bought a vaccine or cheated the system.

planningaheadtoday · 05/01/2021 15:27

They are vaccinating all health workers even non face to face staff. So they probably qualified on a few levels, especially if they are caring for elderly family members.

Rudolphian · 05/01/2021 15:33

Where we are working. All the nhs staff regardless of age have been offered it.
Also my mum went to get the vaccine. My brother who is a teacher took her. They had some left over so offered him a vaccine. So he has had it too. I think there are some areas where there has been a good roll out so lots of people have had. Even some who are younger. But in other areas there has been less. So even older people haven't had it yet.

Staffy1 · 05/01/2021 15:34

Unpaid Carers are not that high on the list.

LochDooner69 · 05/01/2021 15:34

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

boxingdayclearout · 05/01/2021 15:36

Great news! The more the merrier. Bring it on

buckeejit · 05/01/2021 15:41

That's great news, I'm glad they're offering it out instead of it going to waste.

My friend is starting vaccinations on Friday & would be great if she could get some older family or even me vaccinated sooner rather than waste a vaccine. I wouldn't refuse it but obviously it would be better if it were rolled out fairly. I'd rather have fast than fair though

Zakana · 05/01/2021 15:45

Because my partner although only 53 is extremely clinically vulnerable due to being heavily steroid dependent and on ongoing immunosuppressant infusion therapy every eight weeks, when he gets the vaccine, all of us in the household will be offered the vaccine I believe, the same as the flu jab each year also. He’s not best pleased he’s got to go back to shielding either!

Gazelda · 05/01/2021 15:46

How sad that people who, on the face of it, should not be on the priority vaccination list but happened to get it because they were in the vicinity at the end of the vaccination surgery when there were a few doses leftover are probably now keeping it very quiet like a shameful secret for fear or being judged, resented and labelled a selfish cheat.