Elderly parents (92 and 80) have heard nothing from GP re vaccine - should we just wait?

[Marchpane123]

My elderly father (92) and mother (80) haven’t yet received the vaccine (I understand that only around half of all over 80s have to date so that in itself isn’t necessarily a cause for concern). Most of their (younger) friends who live in a neighbouring town have already had it. What I find odd (and a bit worrying) is that they have received no comms at all from their GP surgery. Does anyone know if this is ‘normal’ at this stage in the roll-out or if I should be getting concerned? I know the advice is to wait to be contacted but I’m worried they might have been lost in the system...
My mother phoned the surgery to ask when they would get the vaccine and apparently the response was ‘what vaccine...?’
Should we just wait? Grateful for any advice, thank you

Sadly not all surgeries have the vaccine ( perhaps that’s what the What Vaccine? Comment was about!).

Try on your parents behalf. In writing might help. The local MP can also be a good port of call if you are getting nowhere.

Thanks so much for responding - I will do that!

You need to wait. The NHS will contact them. People are being asked not to ring GP's etc asking about it.

See attached:

Have you looked on their GP website or social media pages? If the practice have up to date contact details it’s unlikely they’ve both been missed, and more likely they don’t have the vaccine to offer yet. Lots of practices have more info on their website or fb page.

Just wait. Don’t phone the GP, It’s not at all odd they’ve not heard anything yet. They won’t hear anything until they actually get called in for it.

Do your parents live anywhere near one of the 7 mass vaccination centres due to open in England tomorrow? If they do, they will receive a letter in the next couple of days with a web link to book. If not, they will hear imminently locally.

www.england.nhs.uk/2021/01/hundreds-of-thousands-invited-to-new-nhs-vaccination-centres/

I've read it is being done alphabetically - which is obviously daft. Is their last name late in the alphabet?

My parents in their late 80s had a letter asking them to book
The nearest they were offered was 172 miles away. Told them to try again

@ceecee32

My parents in their late 80s had a letter asking them to book The nearest they were offered was 172 miles away. Told them to try again

@ceecee32 with time more and more slots will get added so it's worth them checking a couple of times a day.

It’s definitely not been done alphabetically in my local authority (I’m a nurse). I’d agree not to ring, but nothing wrong with writing.

I think it massively depends on what surgery they are registered with.
Two groups of GP practices are running it round here.
One has been up and running with it since the very beginning and has indeed sorted almost all the over 80s and is well on the way to visiting all the care homes on its books.
The other has done precisely zero due to not receiving any vaccine yet although it says it expects to this week.

So not all GP practices have received it though I suspect some have just been better organised and more proactive for some reason.

My father only heard on Friday (for an appointment date more than a week ahead) and he'd had no comms about it before then either. So I agree with others that they just need to wait.

Letters in our area only just went out on Thurs & Friday last week (2 days ago). Clinics start tomorrow but I think are taking care home staff & residents for first week.

Nor mine or pils - all 80+

My surgery has only vaccinated 50% and says supplies are sporadic. So there's about 1500 over 80s been done so far

MiL (87) got a call on Friday for a jag on Wednesday morning.

Please don’t write - that will still use practice resource to deal with. Check their surgery’s website and/or social media for updates.

Unless there is a recent change of contact details which they neglected to tell the practice about, they will not be missed out.

If they have changed contact details, it would be reasonable to contact the practice to check they have the right ones.

I was looking into this yesterday as the vaccination centre in our town only opened the middle of last week but over 80 residents in neighbouring towns were vaccinated in mid December.

There are 3 'waves' of vaccination centres opening up. I can find no justification why one town would be picked over another to be in the first wave but I'm sure there must be something behind it.

If your parents' GP surgery has a website, worth checking that for information. If either of your parents has a mobile phone registered with their GP surgery, make sure they check the phone frequently, as one of my relatives was notified by text. My Dad (mid-eighties) only heard this week, but has now had his first dose.

My 83 year old DF has heard nothing either.

The Times today reports Hancock saying that one third of over 80s so far have been offered the jab. So your parents are in the majority.
I would make sure they will see any text, and then sit tight. I wouldn't be badgering the surgery or my MP... not yet anyway.

Im 76 and got a text from my GP surgery (I am semi housebound) to say not to ring them as I would be contacted by NHS by letter when my turn came.

My dad was texted to say they would be in contact when he was eligible and not to call the surgery. I would hold tight this week and if your have heard nothing by next Monday call - letters are currently being posted to those who are eligible and whose own surgeries aren't offering the vaccine (smaller ones generally)

Gosh, if any of this process uses Royal Mail then definitely check!