Vaccine 💉 availability for people who want to pay privately

[MissMessy12]

Once vulnerable and key workers have been vaccinated, do you think the vaccine will be available to people who want to pay privately?

I suspect at some point you will be able to pay, just like you do with travel vaccines - once there's sufficient stock for all the priority groups of course. It could be 2 years before they can give vaccinations to all and it's likely airlines won't allow travel plus other potential scenarios. I'm at the back of the queue so I expect to have to pay

It shouldn’t be but it will.

If the NHS can vaccinate people at a rate of 1m per month it’s going to take 9 years to vaccinate the U.K. population. They’re not achieving that yet so of course private companies are going to step in. And the govt will encourage it and be grateful.

No I really hope not.

This pandemic has really shown up the vast inequalities in society in so many different ways.

There should not be the option to 'jump the queue' and pay for the vaccine, in my opinion.

@MrsMomoa

Great. Vaccinate the rich, screw the poor!

It beats the ‘vaccinate teachers and young people who work and let the old folk die’ line

[quote Ultimatecougar]@PlanDeRaccordement that stuff about the titanic is fiction. Happened in the film, but not IRL. There weren't enough lifeboats, but that is where it ends.[/quote]
No it’s not all fiction. Yes there were not enough lifeboats, but the enquiry both reports while simultaneously discounting what 3rd class survivors reported with some nifty victim blaming:
“It has been suggested before the Enquiry that the third-class passengers had been unfairly treated; that their access to the boat deck had been impeded; and that when at last they reached that deck the first and second-class passengers were given precedence in getting places in the boats. There appears to have been no truth in these suggestions. It is no doubt true that the proportion of third-class passengers saved falls far short of the proportion of the first and second class, but this is accounted for by the greater reluctance of the third-class passengers to leave the ship, by their unwillingness to part with their baggage, by the difficulty in getting them up from their quarters, which were at the extreme ends of the ship, and by other similar causes”- Lord Mersey

So it depends who you want to believe? That all the 1st and 2nd class children were saved but only half the 3rd class children because 3rd class people wanted to take baggage with them? because they didn’t want to leave a sinking ship? because it was just too hard to get them up on deck?

Of course, not very many 3rd class passengers survived so their voices would have been silenced by the other survivors who probably wouldn’t want to admit to any sharp elbowing to get to a lifeboat.

Have attached the statistics of who survived by class and sex. Judge for yourself if it the much higher death rate can be “accounted for” the way Lord Mersey did.

The UK government bought 300m vaccines. 140m of approved types. I think they can do the whole population for free. There is no wholesale distribution. It’s only authorised for use by the NHS and can only be distributed by the NHS.

That would be the most appalling travesty of justice after the way that the pandemic has already massively worsened the huge inequalities in the country. It should not be allowed to happen.

I was wondering the same. I can't see why it shouldn't be. Not that I myself would go private for it.

No. But once they have vaccinated the over 65s and vulnerable, the hospitalisation and death rates will drop massively, and life will resume. At that point I think demand for vaccine will also drop, close to levels of demand for flu vaccine, which is low. And as with flu vaccine, companies will offer to staff - but not until those who need it have had it.

@Atalune is kidding for sure.
But if we are doing daft wishes I’d like teleportation to and from my work and immediate sedation upon my return, until I awake again in the morning dewy skinned and looking rested.

No it won’t

Seems in some parts of the Country second Covid boosters are going ahead. An 80 yr old had her second today with none of her friends cancelled either.

West London

No, jabs should be on a ''Most vulnerable first' basis''

Yes, I'm sure it will be. Probably not the Oxford/AZ one, but others, perhaps from Europe will be bought by private insurers/private healthcare groups for big companies who want their younger workforce vaccinated sooner than the UK government roll-out will allow.

If the supply increases and it’s not prohibitively expensive then I think buying it privately sounds great, especially if there could be a caveat that you had to buy one for someone in need (like Tomms). I’d rather that than wait for years until the government gets round to vaccinating the general population. In a dream world yes it would all be free (although all my dreams are about packing so in a dream would I’d be boxing them up for hours while more appeared)

I actually think it will be but not until much later in the year. The pharmaceutical companies will want to make as much money as possible, unfortunately that’s life and there will be plenty of companies who will want their employees to have it ASAP. Money talks

Just a quick google finds pages like this: www.thesmartclinics.co.uk/private-covid-vaccine-not-yet-available/

not available at the present time
BUT
After the first wave of NHS vaccinations and as more vaccines become available, there are hopes that stock may be available for the private sector in the future

You are all talking about UK, but any country signed up to Civax/Gavi, which inc. UK, will be giving surplus vaccines to third world countries so it could be a long wait......get in line behind 5 billion other people.

Also, if it’s like the flu vaccine it will have to be regularly updated and redistributed to the most vulnerable. So it’s not like the government will be working through the population from start to finish and then the job is done.

Just don't understand why trained volunteers cannot administer vaccine?
It surely can't be that difficult to do?

Many civilians are trained to inject 'Prenoxad' or Insulin, or epi-pens.

It shouldn't be.

@oakleaffy

Just don't understand why trained volunteers cannot administer vaccine? It surely can't be that difficult to do?

Many civilians are trained to inject 'Prenoxad' or Insulin, or epi-pens.

So these vaccines are provided in multidose vials, and for Pfizer needs mixing with a dilutant as well. The handling procedures are very specific, and they aren't the easy ready files syringes we get for flu. They also need to make sure they don't contaminate the vial.

So in theory you can get someone who isn't qualified but is trained in vaccination but it's not just a case of jab and go.

Someone also has to check for vaccine ingredient allergies and other clinical suitability criteria. That person needs to be appropriately informed, and likely needs to be qualified to make that clinical decision.

I believe in the R&D collaboration it was agreed amongst the pharma companies that they would sell it not for profit to developed countries, distribute for free or below cost to developing countries and make no profit until after the pandemic.

I’m sure there will come a time when it can be produced en masse and distributed by other pharma companies widely enabling it to be bought and sold privately, but not for some time.

@oakleaffy problems aren’t really with the lack of vaccinators, but with storage and distribution of vaccine, as well as availability. It’s an unstable vaccine (well the Pfizer one is, the AZ one less so) and logistically complex to give.

Also with all respect a trained monkey can stick a needle in someone; it’s having a clinical understanding of who should and shouldn’t have that needle stuck in them, and what to do if it goes tits up afterwards that’s so important.

I think it will depend on the supply of the Oxford jab. If the NHS can roll out a jab for £4 and supplies allow it, I have no doubt that the £30 Pfizer jab will be sold onto private providers.

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants

No.

Nor should it be.

They are vaccinating everyone over 16 that wants it, in the order of priority.

Paying to jump the queue. What makes you think that's even remotely acceptable?

I agree, it needs to be done on medical need - for now, anyway. When it becomes endemic in years to come it might be an idea like the flu jab.