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

My mum is over 80 and hasn't had anything yet, and the over 80s living at home in my area has had it yet, although they say they've finished the care homes and are doing medical staff.

The surgery's I have heard of are using the phone not Royal Mail. Phew.

My dad is 82 and mum, who is diabetic and over 70, haven’t had an appointment yet either. Apparently the vaccine has arrived but the surgery doesn’t yet have a suitable venue to start administering it....

My dad (age 83) has not heard yet but my DH's Grandparents (same age and same surgery) had theirs before Christmas.

My parents, late 80s with health issues, have heard nothing. They’re getting a bit distressed about it now.

We found looking on one GP website there was some information about a local vaccination hub at another surgery. Then a further look at that other website have info as to how many over 80s they had to cover (thousands) and the doses delivered last week (hundreds.)

Even so it was reassuring to know it's started and that my relatives should get vaccine within the next weeks.

Around where my family live (rural area of England), it's very hit and miss who has been contacted and/or vaccinated so far. Some surgeries have had supplies of the vaccine and vaccinated their patients who are >80, others haven't. So I have an uncle (early 80s) who's been vaccinated in town A and another uncle and aunt (mid-80s and early-80s) who live in a nearby village who have just had an email from their surgery (in town B), saying 'Don't contact us, we'll contact you'. All over-80s are due to have been vaccinated by the middle of February, so that's another five weeks from now. I'd check their surgery website for info, but generally the advice is to sit tight, don't call and don't panic.

I would just wait for now. Things are only just getting ramped up this week.

If you haven't heard anything by end of month then speak to GP practice.

It seems to be a postcode lottery. A friend in his mid 70s had the vaccine last week, no underlying health conditions to bump him up the list.

I just bumped into a friend in the street and had DF (age 75) has had it. Apparently a lot of the older people in his area don't want the Pfizer jab, they want 'the British one' and are prepared to wait for it so they're offering Pfizer to over 75s already.

I would wait. My dad, 92, got a phone call on Thursday to go the following day, so I would sit tight they could just get a call.

I know a 105 year old who still hasn't had it (lives in their own home). I guess just wait is all we can do really.

Our surgery has lots of info on their website. There are "waves" and they were allocated to second wave. It seems to depend on things like staffing and suitability of premises for safe social distancing

I would wait but can they be prepared to get there quickly?

Two of mum's friends got asked same day.

Mum got a call late Friday afternoon for Saturday morning.

I know, from my building, of a 71 year old who took her husband (not ver mobile, maybe late 80s) to the centre for the last appointment bit of the day, which I think is near 8pm. They had no shows and it needed to be used so they offered her one and that's done now.

My mum received a text (before Christmas) from her surgery but my dad wasn't contacted by text or phone (not sure whether he had registered his mobile as well as their home phone). When my mum called to book her appointment, she was told that my dad was also on the list and she could book appointments for them both. Although he wasn't contacted directly and she didn't call until nearly a week after they sent the text. When their friend called up, it was the same situation - they were eligible and could book an appointment but hadn't been contacted.

I'm not advocating everyone calling their surgery but just sharing the experience at our surgery. They've now had their second vaccinations too.

Same where my relatives are. I suspect they don't have enough, and are focused on the bigger cities.

I don't think phoning your gp surgery is such a sin. It's reasonable for a gp surgery to expect lots of anxious patients in a pandemic. And bureacracy never runs smooth. It's not impossible for names just to be lost.

I'd sit tight unless the GP surgery your mother is registered at has been in the local news about vaccinating, and even them I'd probably check their website and social media before ringing.

Roll out is coming, but even with the flu, there is often 4-6 weeks window where surgeries get their supply, one in on village can get it, but one in the next village along doesn't get flu vacc supplies until 6 weeks later.

There is a lot of planning involved and some surgeries will be better placed to start earlier, others will still be trying to work out where and how to vaccinate while carrying on with all the other services depending on local facilities.

@zafferana

I just bumped into a friend in the street and had DF (age 75) has had it. Apparently a lot of the older people in his area don't want the Pfizer jab, they want 'the British one' and are prepared to wait for it so they're offering Pfizer to over 75s already.

I find that really, really sad.

I wonder what regular medications they take and what the origin of those is?

I wonder whether any of those people will pay the ultimate price for their xenophobia? I hope not.

@PuzzledObserver metro.co.uk/2021/01/07/elderly-patients-refuse-pfizer-vaccine-to-wait-for-the-english-one-13865537/ apparently it's not just in my friend's DF's area. I can't get my head around it at all, particularly as the Pfizer vaccine is much more effective.

@zafferana yes I had seen other reports. I don’t think the difference between them is that great, and certainly on the population level it makes no difference. On the individual level, the best thing is to have any vaccine ASAP.

Thanks everyone for responding - my parents got a call (on their landline) today to let them know they have an appointment for Wednesday. Hope everyone else waiting for an appointment gets one very soon too!

That's great news!