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?

The hubs will work at weekends but GP surgeries may not. Although some will. We have 100 vaccines coming Monday and will get them out Wednesday Thursday Friday for the over 80s. We have to do our usual work on top of this so I need my weekends to recover.
I am able to offer to work at the hubs once they are open so may do this but I've recently been ill so need to pace myself. I think people forget routine work is going on too.

If there were plentiful vaccines I'd go at any time to get mine.

It should be, but this is the UK where people will bleat on about human rights and blah blah blah

@notevenat20

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?

I suppose they could offer to vaccinate those working antisocial hours during their shifts maybe? The reality is, many healthcare workers are on their knees and giving up a nights sleep to go and get a vaccine possibly wouldn’t appeal to them. If they could have it during a shift it could possibly speed things up.

There's no point offering 24/7 if there's currently only enough vaccine to fill an 8am - 8pm day.

If vaccine supplies ramp up (which hopefully they will) perhaps they will move to 24/7 particularly for the younger age groups. I'd personally travel anywhere at anytime for mine.

My gp surgery was offering the flu jab from a gazebo in their car park, with slots up to 10pm in December (and those slots were one minute apart). There were plenty of takers, the queue wound round and round the car park.
As a family of adults, if us five were told we could get the jab at 3.30am in our local Tesco car park, we'd be there.
In Kent we can get now get tests on demand by booking a slot at one of a number of self administered rapid test centres, we ought to be asked to return to our cars until we have a negative result, then join another queue for the vaccine. The system/mechanism is already in place.

I fully understand why it's being administered in groups but there is a growing case for just getting it out into the community as well. It's not just about hospital beds - it's about having enough people healthy enough to keep society ticking over, from running the ventilators in ICU to delivering oxygen, to collecting our bins, to keeping the food stores open.

Once we have plenty of supply for the vulnerable having their daytime jabs this would be a great idea to get more vaccinated. If there was some sort of booking system in place people could book appointments in unsociable hours.

At the moment, OP, it’s irrelevant. There is not enough vaccine available to fill all daytime slots, never mind overnight ones.
If there was a sudden enormous jump in vaccine supply, I’m sure it would be considered.

There’s not enough vaccine to fill 24 hour slots at the minute. My in laws( mid 80s) haven’t had one yet, vaccines haven’t hit their community yet. Yet a friends mum in a different borough he had both doses:
Plus would you want elderly 80 year old plus in the dark, cold at 2am?

All for early to late clinics. And in spring when we have hopefully a better supply of vaccine absolutely if it helps get more done!

Older people should be done during the day.

CeV younger people could be done during the night ,at less sociable hours.

The CeV people I know wiu6go to the moon at 4pm to get this.

What's one nights broken sleep to help save your life??

And staff should be paid accordingly.

I'm not the biggest fan of this government but I think the vaccination programme is going well. As many of the vaccinations at this point are for the elderly & vulnerable, I think 24 x 7 is a bad idea.

I just don’t think people would show up. In my surgery (preCOVID), a high percentage of patients did not turn up for appointments at weekends, much higher than weekdays. So while patients say they want weekend appointments, they don’t turn up. I suspect it would be the same with night appointments.

You also have to consider that in GP practices, there are limited numbers of staff. If they work a nightshift, they can’t be doing your blood test or prescription the following day. GP’s are trying to carry on with all the usual work whilst doing vaccines too.

And as others have said, driving in the middle of the night is dangerous and icy right now, a lot of older people just don’t drive in the dark and many won’t have a local relative to bring them. In and ideal world, yes, but I don’t think it’s practical or sensible.

There is no shortage of non hcp applying and being recruited. There is a massive shortage of the required hcp needed for this and just keeping basic NHS going. Whether the DM likes it or not the gap can only be partially filled by retirees and returners who do need training. Whether they like it or not.

There level of supply atm isn’t there.

There is years and mountains of evidence to show people won’t turn up or book night or weekend healthcare appointments if given a choice. And they will be given choices by February

This is just the type of well meaning ideas beloved by politicians that get thrown at the NHS in times of crisis. It just means people who could otherwise be trying to sort out how to staff the nightingales are looking for people who don’t exist to work all night.

Really please stop encouraging it.

I have not read this first hand, heard during discussion with my DH yesterday. He told me he read Israel are doing 24/7 of Pfizer vaccine. Remember, you have to use this one up once taken from the freezer.

Apparently Two have separate queues (and kept apart), the first are those vulnerable and have been invited at set times. Second queue are those in a daily lottery from non vulnerable who queue up to take an injection for a no show or, the 5th dose. Apparently, there are actually 5 doses per vial but the instruction is to count 4 as the 5th is in case something happens while drawing the first 4. If the 5th is viable, they inject the 5th into the people in the second queue.

Of course, Israel is lower population and smaller country but I noted what DH read. I’d go queue up at 2am for this option

I genuinely don’t understand how that would help

If there were enough supplies and staff to vaccinate 24/7, then surely it would be better to set up an additional vaccination centre and vaccinate twice as many during the day, rather than vaccinate all night at the original centre?

I think the issue is the lack of availability they probably don’t have enough hence the slow speed.

I always thought with the Pfizer one that they should have people on standby rather than chucking away.
People could sit in their cars for a while at the end of the day just in case.

CEV here

It really does depend on where

• flying squad operating out of local GP or hospital satellite site - great 10-29 mins walk I’ll be there like a shot any time
• main hospital hub - would still go any time, but it’s an hours walk each way and one part is sketchy and normally avoided after dark
• main city hub - 3 hours walk each way. Really hope I’m never called there (day or night) but if I am I’ll go, but I am frankly scared of the idea of such a long unfamiliar walk.

This ‘within 10 miles’ sounds fine, especially if you have a car or are prepared to use public transport (if indeed it’s running at night). If you don’t (and it’s not) the time taken to get there is the same as asking a driver to go from say Bath to London

A week ago people were moaning because only large chain pharmacies were being supplied ... then supply changed and smaller ones started to be included.

A few days ago people were moaning because GPs flu vacc teams weren't being used... then supply changed and now GPs are included.

Some say look, we have to shout and point out the obvious before our stupid government does the obvious.

Others say look, stop shouting, the blatantly obvious will be done just as soon as the supply chain can cope.

...

There isn’t the vaccine supply to do that anyway.
Also good luck getting over 80s in for early hours appointments. I booked about a hundred in yesterday and seriously struggled to fill the ‘before 9:30am’ appointments as they were farrrr too early

It's not just vaccinators, it's carpark marshals and people to keep an eye on those who've been vaccinated for 15 minutes.

Are they not already? Bloody hell... My mum would go at any hour of the night if she had to

@Ughmaybenot

There isn’t the vaccine supply to do that anyway. Also good luck getting over 80s in for early hours appointments. I booked about a hundred in yesterday and seriously struggled to fill the ‘before 9:30am’ appointments as they were farrrr too early

I think that is the reality. Everyone saying but my 89 year old mum would crawl over hot coals at 1am to get the vaccine has obviously never tried to book appointments for people before. Most will want to come during normal hours, that is the reality. They’d rather wait a week and get a nice 10am appointment than get one a few days earlier at 2am. It’s not like the admin staff will be able to say it’s this 2am appointment or nothing.Younger people may be more flexible, may even enjoy the tale of going at 2am but over 70’s just won’t.

I hope all those saying 24 hours a day, 7 days a week have signed up to be Marshall’s at their local vaccination centre because they’ll need loads more people to help if they do go 24 hours ( which might happen later on possibly)

@sashagabadon yes just have!! Here is the link for those that want to help.

nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk/i-want-to-volunteer/volunteer-roles/steward-volunteer