To think vaccinations should be 24/7

[notevenat20]

I have become quite agitated by the speed of our vaccination program compared to the speed of transmission of the new variant. I read the plan is to vaccinate 8am to 8pm. But given the emergency that sounds to me like a firefighter putting out flames 8am-8pm. It’s not enough is it?

Depends whether the patient is willing to go for a jab at 02:00 or such like.

Depends on how many vaccinations they can get hold of too.
I won’t be offering to work nights when I’m doing them.

Depends whether the patient is willing to go for a jab at 02:00 or such like.

My guess is that enough would to be able to fill those slots. Most people will go out at night to save their own life.

I agree the hours could be extended. 6am until say 11. I guess patients don’t want to go in the middle of the night but some might!
Isn’t this what’s Israel are doing and it’s working for them!

I don't think middle of the night is practical. It was something like -10c here last night, icy roads. Nobody needs to be out in that.

Agree that 7am to midnight or something may be more appropriate.

I’m volunteering to do this and DS will be going to school as a key worker child while I do. I have a day job so it needs to be sociable hours for me although I might do the odd weekend shift.
The army are supposed to be helping though?

You’d get millions of no shows where people fell asleep etc, possibly wasting vaccines?

As a GP we aren’t getting enough vaccines delivered to be able to do this. We also don’t have enough staff to work long night shifts administering the vaccine and then still be able to provide routine/urgent primary care to our patients in hours.

Chimeraforce

“Depends whether the patient is willing to go for a jab at 02:00 or such like“

We are, just tell us where to go! Happy to leave more convenient times for people who need them.

Staff should be paid accordingly though.

They can only give out what they’ve got. I’m sure if and when they get adequate supplies, they will work round the clock to get this achieved. At the moment everyone is on standby for deliveries. I like most people would get it at anytime, anywhere possible.

@Alfaix how did you get the opp to help out? Would love to.

No I think its a bad idea. Most people will.be asleep at night.

Agree that 7am to midnight or something may be more appropriate

That would be almost 50% more vaccinations already!

I agree that they’d be no shows plus it’s dangerous for the elderly or medically vulnerable to be out in icy conditions and the dark.
Maybe once spring comes and we’re in the younger not medically vulnerable people that could change.

Well if there were sufficient vaccinators it would be good to extend the hours .Not 24/24 though .

Bit of an "if" though . And I think some areas still lack vaccination centres .

My elderly parents would go at 4:00am and if I were a vaccinator I would do it then too. Saving people’s lives is quite a motivator.

Well if there were sufficient vaccinators it would be good to extend the hours

Are we actually vaccinating as fast as supply is arriving? Israel is vaccinating much faster than us and I don’t think they are using the Oxford vaccine at all.

I understand what you’re saying, but I honestly can’t imagine my 84 year old grandad going out in the pitch back, freezing cold at 2am for a vaccine.

I’d also assume it’s a staffing issue? A coupe of the people where I work have volunteered to administer vaccines, but they have actual jobs too. Not sure how they’d feel about working a full day, spending the night vaccinating people, then going back to work in the morning.

Ireland are doing 9am - 5pm M-F. It boggles the mind.

Yes and no - those offered an appointment during antisocial hours may well have no means of safely getting there, but should not lose their place in the queue.

That might in itself cause counterproductive admin difficulties in getting the right people done promptly.

Remember that the CEV should not go on public transport (which might not be running in the small hours anyhow), might not own a car, and might have DC to deal with (can't safely have a babysitter in, shouldn't take with, more options available during daytime)

It's not just a case of getting it into as many arms as possible, it's getting it into the most vulnerable, so we can start to curb the horrible rise in cases and idc see the start of relaxation of restrictions.

I understand what you’re saying, but I honestly can’t imagine my 84 year old grandad going out in the pitch back, freezing cold at 2am for a vaccine.

A huge number of people being vaccinated are much younger healthcare workers. I guess they could do them at night and the over 80s in the day if that really is a problem?

At the moment the limiting factor is the number of vaccines. If/ when the number of vaccines exceeds the daytime appointments we have there are plenty of us in my workplace willing to do whatever hours it takes to get people vaccinated.
At the moment it feels painfully slow, but is definitely picking up pace now.

I know of a couple in their 80s who would be fine to go at 3am or whatever .But I guess a rarity .

Maybe when we are vaccinating 70 + year olds it would have a higher uptake .

But staffing might be an issue .

I suspect that manufacturer and distribution of the vaccine are the key factor which dictates the rate at which we can vaccinate people rather than the number of hours per 24hrs during which vaccinations are taking place

*I may be wrong though, just speculating based on what I know

Yes and no - those offered an appointment during antisocial hours may well have no means of safely getting there, but should not lose their place in the queue.

Could people just be asked? That is a single tick box: are you happy to be vaccinated 12am to 7am or similar? No place in the queue would be lost as the queue us just being processed more quickly.