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?

I completely 'get' and accept the not wasting a leftover vaccine, but that doesn't really explain how they both got it? Two working adults wouldn't accompany a family member into their vaccine appointment, so there must have been some sort of pre-plannedness about it?

The one who works in the NHS is in a part-time project role which in no way would influence the delivery of covid services. As I said, they haven't been into their office for 9 months, so would have to have made a special trip for an "all our NHS office is having it" scenario.

The other works for a private medical insurer - not sure what the rationale would be there? Although I guess they might have signed up as emergency support, since they were once a GP?

Anyway, I've just seen on another thread that whole offices of 1000s of NHS workers are getting it, so perhaps that's the case?

@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?

Depends on whether you want the staff in her Trust to get their salaries at the end of the month or not, really.

So on this basis, it sounds as if the first 1.5 -2 million doses of the vaccine are going to NHS workers?

Why do you care? You will get your turn. They won’t have been given it without good reason so wind your neck in maybe?

The one who works in the NHS is in a part-time project role which in no way would influence the delivery of covid services. As I said, they haven't been into their office for 9 months, so would have to have made a special trip for an "all our NHS office is having it" scenario

But it's about delivery of all NHS services. It is close to breaking point right now, not just because of the number of Covid patients but because of staff off sick or isolating. They need every warm body working to keep the NHS functioning, so it makes sense to vaccinate as many staff as possible.

Also, "at risk" NHS staff are high on the priority list I think, and you mentioned that your friends are BME, so may be more at risk.

The more people we vaccinate the sooner we get out of this nightmare, every single vaccination given is a good thing.

There are issues at here though.
-Older people literally dying without it
Under 50 dont get a vax unless in certain categories

• Once x people are vaxxed everyone will be expected to just catch it
• These are people working from home so least risk to them and others!
• They would still need to quarantine for a cough
• Gov will release restrictions once the priority groups are done but that will take longer or will be back to normal before some at vaxxed certainly the second vax. and dont forget these people will now book in for their second jag and that will be before the care hone people too.

Although i personally see a certain sense in vax the younger working age people first because they are at risk via work or anyone with kids as they are completely exposed via schools. I dont not include in that wfh people.

And yes the reality of people changing their risk behaviour. everyone will be out at the pubs...
Ive seen several reports of people getting infected soon after the vax. So they do really need to still be careful.

@OnlyTeaForMe

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

My sister is nhs staff in a go surgery.

They've also had first dose.

It's correct that nhs are on list but in this case they do get the no show or last dose in bottle at end of shift.

We want as many people as possible vaccinated. I'd rather it went to someone who would get it anyway than the bin - shortens the queue for the rest of us

Just because they have had it doesn’t make them safe. Even with the jab you are still susceptible to the virus, all it does, like the flu jab, is hopefully make the symptoms less

And in order to make sure people don’t get it you still have to follow the rules as well as continue to SD, especially with those who haven’t had the jab

With respect tinsel not all NHS services are at breaking point - some are quiet since they can't currently be delivered and patients are staying away. Moreover, not all clinical skills are transferable to respiratory/ICU etc.

I completely support vaccinating frontline and related NHS staff, but I guess the question becomes where do you then stop? Do you include the 20 year old car park attendant, because if staff can't get into the car park . . . or the comms person who works designing leaflets in a satellite office or working from home?
If they are getting vaccinated ahead of the vulnerable 65+ age group I think that is wrong.
Why bother having a tiered vaccination priority list?

Yes, the fact my friends' are BME might be relevant, who knows. I'm sure I'll find out in due course.

May be they do have underlying conditions that do not want to share with you. That would explain the Oh shit moment!

And for the way you are dealing with the news I do not blame them.

The biggest issue wirh this us the " dont worry about distancing we've had the jab."

This is going to be a big issue as lockdiwn eases with the vaccinated thinking they can't still transmit.

@OnlyTeaForMe

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

Seriously OP

I mean, seriously

With respect tinsel not all NHS services are at breaking point - some are quiet since they can't currently be delivered and patients are staying away. Moreover, not all clinical skills are transferable to respiratory/ICU etc

No that is true, but we still need as many NHS staff working as possible. Every single staff absence increases the pressure that bit more.

I honestly don't really understand what your issue is - you were even casting doubt in the viability of whether your friends could be classed as carers because the 87 year old father lives in an "annex".

I’ve had the vaccine on 30/12 - I didn’t initially qualify, I’m NHS frontline but at that time we were only vaccinating staff who were CEV. Boss came in at 5.30 and said anyone who can get to vaccination centre within next 30 min go now, they have 15 doses which will otherwise waste. I’m imagining a mate of theirs working in a vaccination centre called them and told
them something similar.

on the viability not in.

@OnlyTeaForMe

With respect tinsel not all NHS services are at breaking point - some are quiet since they can't currently be delivered and patients are staying away. Moreover, not all clinical skills are transferable to respiratory/ICU etc.

I completely support vaccinating frontline and related NHS staff, but I guess the question becomes where do you then stop? Do you include the 20 year old car park attendant, because if staff can't get into the car park . . . or the comms person who works designing leaflets in a satellite office or working from home?
If they are getting vaccinated ahead of the vulnerable 65+ age group I think that is wrong.
Why bother having a tiered vaccination priority list?

Yes, the fact my friends' are BME might be relevant, who knows. I'm sure I'll find out in due course.

Well yes, you do include the car park attendant and the communications person, because if they can't do their jobs, that affects the NHS as a whole. Same way you include the filing clerks, accounts assistants, clinical coders, mortuary workers, lap techs, porters, maintenance staff, catering staff, theatre technicians, physiotherapists, radiologists, IT techs, switchboard operators, facilities management staff, bookings admin and secretaries. Because every one of them is necessary to the running of the NHS as much as a ward clerk, receptionist, HCA, doctor or nurse. And without them, the system breaks down, which means that your vulnerable 65+ age group won't get treatment for anything, including Covid.

Without staff, the healthcare system breaks down. Which means everybody, including the elderly, misses out on emergency care - and on future vaccines, if the people who would be giving them, administering the process, cleaning up, sorting out distribution and appointments, recording results and working on improvements are dead, sick, disabled, ill or simply not in work, there's nobody to make the other 50 million odd doses available.

Absolutely well said NeverDropYourMoonCup.

Anyone who resents NHS staff getting the vaccine early on in the process needs to take a long hard look at themselves.

@Silvergreen

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

No, we dont know if they can spread it yet . I appreciate that means they still.need to be careful but that is very different to saying they definitely can spread it

I would much rather any left over doses were used than chucked down the sink. I read somewhere last week that some doses were being wasted because of over supply and no shows. Maybe there has been a rethink in the light of this.
I feel the same about huge amounts of perfectly good food being sent to landfill rather than donated to foodbanks, for example.

GP surgeries could have had some left over.

Because carers of the 80 plus can also access the vaccine.

They might have had it privately.

Anyway it isn't your business.