1st cock up in vaccination rollout

[CKBJ]

Being reported in the media that many over 80s received their letters yesterday, supposedly those living up to 40mins away from one of the 7 vaccine centres, but when they book appointments they are instructed to travel very far. No where does it state in the letter patients won’t be penalised if they don’t book one at one of the 7 centres and if they wait their gp practice will contact them for a local appointment. This is causing a lot of anxiety in people who are already likely to be shielding and potentially put them at risk by them trying to travel to one of the centres. Surely the letter template should have been reviewed and this issue picked up!

@countrygirl99

Oh FFS clearly most of you lot aren't able to imagine what it's like to be very elderly, possibly without family nearby, with health issues that make even short journeys difficult or painful and having been scared to death for the last year. The communication on this has been appalling and there is no excuse. It's not a failure of logistics, it's an unforgivable failure to communicate clearly what the options are. And the government have people who communicate for a living so there really is no excuse. Communication is 9/10 of project management and failure to do so is one of the major causes of project failure.

This.

And clearly some people can’t comprehend a massive unprecedented operation and instead of being grateful that it exists at all, are whingeing and niggling because it is not personalised for 70 million citizens.

@IrmaFayLear

And clearly some people can’t comprehend a massive unprecedented operation and instead of being grateful that it exists at all, are whingeing and niggling because it is not personalised for 70 million citizens.

Agreed. Also, the infantilisation of older people is unnecessary. Many older people have needs that make them more vulnerable but manybare very capable and able adults. Being old - even with a disability - does not make people automatically incapable, anxious and unable to take action.

The fact that elderly and ECV people are not keen on travelling and being inside these mass vaccination centres suggests that mass vaccination centres would be more suitable for younger adults.

We should continue the vaccination of the elderly and ECV at GPs and GP hubs local to these people. Open up the mass vaccination centres for lower priority lists people and after that other adults.

The resources available need to be used intelligently and not constrained by the priority lists that are designed to prevent deaths but can also be a limiting factor on the achievement of mass vaccination.

I must admit that (as an ecv person) when I saw that my vaccination centre was large covid-y hospital I was a bit “eeek”. However, even if the centre was a pit full of poisonous snakes I’d still go.

@lazeeboy
The fact that elderly and ECV people are not keen on travelling and being inside these mass vaccination centres suggests that mass vaccination centres would be more suitable for younger adults.
The slots all went very quickly, so that isn't a "fact". Those who can travel or use their support bubble to travel appear very happy to just get their vaccine as quickly as possible.

[quote MRex]@lazeeboy
The fact that elderly and ECV people are not keen on travelling and being inside these mass vaccination centres suggests that mass vaccination centres would be more suitable for younger adults.
The slots all went very quickly, so that isn't a "fact". Those who can travel or use their support bubble to travel appear very happy to just get their vaccine as quickly as possible.[/quote]
Ok that is good news that the slots are going. The worst thing would be to have these huge centres capable of giving tens of thousands of vaccines and not using their full capacity.
There was a thread the other day about a woman not wanting to take her ECV father to the Excel centre as it was a long journey and the ECV father would not be safe on public transport to get there.
So there is some reluctance and elderly and ECV may well prefer to stay closer to home and use smaller sites that are perceived to be less risky. In which case, the option should still be considered to use these large sites for less vulnerable groups who are more mobile (there were photos in the press yesterday of a very frail elderly woman having to contend with a long concrete ramp that zigzagged upwards).

@lazeeboy - that's the point of the national booking system: priority groups get to book in first then they get opened up to the next in line. Over 70s will find it a lot easier, and over 60s easier still, but at least those 80+ who can manage get vaccinated faster than their local supply would achieve.

[quote MRex]@lazeeboy - that's the point of the national booking system: priority groups get to book in first then they get opened up to the next in line. Over 70s will find it a lot easier, and over 60s easier still, but at least those 80+ who can manage get vaccinated faster than their local supply would achieve.[/quote]
OK good. Is there a national booking system? In my area people are being contacted by letter (occasionally by phone) by their GP directly. They are given an appointment which they then have to accept or decline, no further choices.

Here's how the bookings work: www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/privacy-notice/national-flu-vaccination-programme/.

Here is the patient overview page: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/.

Here is the national booking system: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/.

If their GP books them directly, there is an assumption that they can attend the site because it's the nearest possible place they will get. They can call the GP if they need a different slot,

Thanks for the links, that is very interesting.

The data protection aspect is also relevant. A few years ago we were able to opt out of our GP passing on any data about us. I wonder what happens to people who specifically opted out of their GP passing on their data?

Opt-our people were stillincluded for shielding lists, because covid was declared as a health emergency. That would imply that vulnerable people should be offered the vaccine, I don't know if anyone in non-vulnerable categories would be left out but suspect not because it's still a health emergency for the whole country.

Here's the page about opt-out, it reads to me that nobody will be left out of vaccine invitations even if they opted out: www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/where-your-choice-does-not-apply/.

twitter.com/dougducey/status/1349001028629270528?s=21

Just been watching this from a huge vaccination site in Arizona. They are aiming on 6,000 a day.

The much bigger and more dangerous cock up is having hundreds of elderly people in a hall together for 20+ minutes to be vaccinated, sounds like a superspreader event to me.

Why are we not having stay in your car drive through vaccination centres??

@Dragongirl10

The much bigger and more dangerous cock up is having hundreds of elderly people in a hall together for 20+ minutes to be vaccinated, sounds like a superspreader event to me.

Why are we not having stay in your car drive through vaccination centres??

Yes, I would much prefer my elderly relatives and even myself to be vaccinated in a drive-through set-up.

Actually the AZ Oxford vaccine does not require a 15 minute observation at the end and my local GP hub is not even doing it if they should. They only observed people for the Pfizer and are not doing for the AZ Oxford vaccine.
Meaning that drive-through would be fine for the AZ Oxford (and some observation is possible if you park up if required).

There is definitely at least one drive in vaccination centre. I saw an article about it last week.

Hopefully one they get down to the younger age groups that will be a norm.

At the moment I think local GP hubs in church hall etc make more sense. Not a lot of the over 70s will drive and some won't have people to take them.

The large vaccination centres sound like their is more social distancing possible and easier to keep safe if you ask me.

@Dragongirl10

The much bigger and more dangerous cock up is having hundreds of elderly people in a hall together for 20+ minutes to be vaccinated, sounds like a superspreader event to me.

Why are we not having stay in your car drive through vaccination centres??

They are harder to get to; many people don’t have cars; they take up too much space, etc