Vaccinations and nepotism

[Mintypylonsfryingsurplus]

Obviously most of us want the vaccination and an end to this nightmare.
But I am aware of several people that have jumped the queue.
1st family Son works in GP surgery in non patient admin role 44 slight asthma never shielded worked throughout. Got vaccine due to leftovers. Great in a way as vaccines should never be wasted. Then got his Mum and stepdad a vaccine (late 60's no health conditions) a vaccine also. Yes they are older but live 32 miles from the surgery so not their surgery and drove a considerable distance. Was told to be there by 4pm in the am of that day.
I thought surely local people who use that surgery should be prioritised especially health care or other frontline workers?
Ok I thought just a one off.
Then one of my DH friend aged 39 again works in surgery occasionally covers reception through a glass booth/ appointment only got the vaccine too. Her partner again about 12 miles but a different county away aged 41 works from home got vaccinated a week later.
They were foolish enough to put on fb (now taken down) as some people were understandably a bit pissed off with this. Comments such as who you know, driving long way not in spirit of lockdown to the outraged as many elderly/ frail/ frontline still patiently in queue.
I am not judging as those that want it will get it eventually, and no vaccine should be wasted, I am just wondering if this is quite common to others too?
It does seem divisive?

No not elderly people in the cold but health care workers/ others who have no choice but to go to work out of their home. Who can also get there quickly not hours of notice. No one likes waste but it should be regulated much better so abuse of the system does not occur

I'd much prefer this to happen than have vaccines being disposed of.

@Covidasaurus

It’s better than wasting it. We are struggling here because when we have some left over we can’t win: if we give it to family, we are told it’s nepotism, if we don’t, it’s because ‘we know it’s not safe!’ And if we throw it away the press slate is.

Ignore the whinging! Get it in any available arm rather than waste it!

I don't blame people organising it, doing it, giving family the nod if there might be some spare. (Obviously a bit different if they're lining up hundreds of family & 'friends').

Obviously it would be ideal if they have people in Top4 group ready & waiting, but that's not always easy.

I'm G6, I'd be happy to wait in a queue every day, just in case there's any left over, even
If it takes a few days.

Teachers at my school have been asked to register if they want to be on a list for left over vaccine. You have to be able to get to the centre with an hour’s notice.

This is not normal. Yes we get it whatever you do in the NHS but our family don't. If we have any left over we offer it to a nearby patient who can get there quickly.

Get as many done as possible- don’t bin it!
If it’s slightly out of order still better than wastage. We had snow this week and lots of 80 plus didn’t want to come out- I hope they did healthcare/ younger/ anyone really!

@Akire

I meant mass text to set up a list you can work down when you need it. Which every provider will need or just waste them

This ^^

If you know 6 hours earlier you are going to have a spare then phone someone on the surgery list who is priority.

It does make it very elitist, who has a car, who can travel out of their area etc. I do not think real need is coming into this. Maybe we should all book a GP appointment for 4pm on the off chance then?

Perhaps there should be a stand by list for spares, but as there isn't at the moment I really can't get wound up with people working at a surgery giving spares to people they know.

My cousin got it Tuesday. Works in HR for private healthcare company, 41, no health conditions, not patient facing and wfh anyway!

They had 'spare' - ok but it was the Oxford one that can be easier stored and transported.

We do call around when we know we will have spares but it is easy for us as we are based in a hospital, so we call round departments and ask if any staff want to call over. I can see how much harder this would be for a busy GP surgery. OP doesn't work there so doesn't know what efforts the staff have went o to bring patients in. Its all 3rd hand information really.

Our priority is vaccinating as many people as we physically can each shift, I am sure GP surgeries feel the same way.

@vminkookie

My cousin got it Tuesday. Works in HR for private healthcare company, 41, no health conditions, not patient facing and wfh anyway!

They had 'spare' - ok but it was the Oxford one that can be easier stored and transported.

You still can't store Oxford for more than a few hours once the vial is punctured, even though you can store unpunctured ones for some time.

Much better than binning it. The more people who have it the better as far as I’m concerned as society will hopefully be able to open up sooner. Maybe ring a local school and get teachers in? Obviously front line and older is best, but with the time and temperature sensitive vaccines it might be hard to ring and get individuals in on time.

So what would your solution be, to avoid wastage? I’m not saying it’s ideal, but what would you do? You prefer to exclude those who have a car, or who the GP knows can get there in time. The vaccine has to be used within a short period of the vials being opened.

At least those who have been vaccinated will have shortened the queue elsewhere.

I’d personally prefer not to have to put myself on a daily waitlist “just in case” - it would overshadow the whole day.

I'm school staff and would love to see anyone who works face to face being able to access spares. Particularly key workers.

Shouldn’t the GP “know” their patients? At least have a list of them. As most are WFH at the moment and live in the catchment area they should be able to get there at short notice. I could! My main concern would be that I might be forgotten as a mere 55+ - will anything be left for me?

Nowt like the pointy elbows. The priority groups are being timetabled in, I don't really give a shit if someone jumps a queue slightly and gets it rather than it going in the bin. The more people vaccinated the better.

Get angry at 89 year olds in hospital beds being told they won't be having it, only to then catch covid, not a clinic making sure doses aren't wasted.

I work for an NHST. We had 100 dna in one day for the vaccination which cannot be re frozen. Anyone available was able to have it. If you are in the right place it is possible to get it early
Or should they be thrown away?

Don’t throw it away but is there a fairer way of getting people there for the leftovers? Or should I hang around outside my GP’s (illegal, I think) on the off-chance?

Anyone being vaccinated is working towards protecting all of us, I can’t get too worked up about this. Aside from wondering how 2nd doses will be planned/managed for anyone getting ad hoc leftover vaccines at this stage.

Yes it isn’t entirely fair, but life often isn’t fair. Covid isn’t fair. Getting worked up about this isn’t helpful or healthy.

Owner of a large nursing home 'employs' her 16 and 18 year old DC doing odd jobs in the holidays etc. You've guessed it, they've both been vaccinated as part of the workforce, what a bloody cheek!

Once the vial is punctured Oxford has to be binned after 6 hours.

@Oblahdeeoblahdoe
What if they bring Covid in with them when they work though? No vaccine is 100% so maybe all staff including peripheral should have it to protect care homes?

How long does it take to get to your GP’s though? An hour tops. People have excellent communications these days. I’d reply to a text and get myself down there.

I think anybody who works in a GP practice or pharmacy should have it without argument. They see sick people all the time.