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?

I can’t get worked up about it this. It’s a few more people ticked off the vaccination list. It’s all good.

@Mintypylonsfryingsurplus

Ok so when the surgeries have exhausted the friends and families lists, do they start throwing them away then? This arguement just doesnt hold up even the most popular person will run out of a perks list? Do they get chucked then? Or will they have to organise phonecalls? I call BS

Yes, if they can't get anyone in to take the spare doses then they will have to start throwing them away.

But until they get to that point there's no need to waste it if someone can be given it.

The more people that get the vaccine the better for everyone. I won't be legible anytime soon, but it still doesn't bother me. I just think the quicker we can get cases down the better for everyone.

My dad, 76, and his wife, 60, had the vaccine as her daughter is a GP's receptionist. There were a couple of no shows and so she rang them with a half hour window.

@InterfectoremVulpes

I'd take a spare vaccine if it was offered so I cant really get het up at others doing the same 🤷‍♀️

Agree.

If they have leftover doses at the end of the day presumably due to no shows, then I think most reasonable people would prefer that someone got them rather than being thrown away? Family and friends of surgery staff seems logical in the circumstances?

Yep I totally agree that NHS etc have done a fantastic job and I have been actively campaigning for them to get vaccinated first. I also think any wastage is criminal. But the country will be in uproar when the GPs etc HAVE to sort out a reliable system to use leftovers when family etc have been vaccinated. They clearly need support to do this. I really hope a newspaper picks up this thread because it highlights the lack of support in rolling out vaccines organising fairly and manpower.
We all know this is the way out but no one seems willing to sort out a problem that is surely coming.

I can’t get worked up about this, the more people that get the vaccine quickly, the better for all of us. 50 something clinically vulnerable police officer detaining people regularly was always just as deserving as a 95 year old in a care home. The priority list is somewhat arbitrary and politically motivated anyway. Plus there is always a postcode lottery anyway. So some 70 year old in London being offered the vaccine vs some 80 plus not yet been contacted in more remote locations.

Yes, let's halt the vaccination programme now in order to work out a method of distribution thats absolutely fair to every single person in the country.

It doesn't matter that we are vaccinating over 300k people a day because there are a few people getting a vaccine a few weeks ahead of schedule and we can't have that

I don’t think this is an example of nepotism. More pragmatism and making sure nothing goes to waste. Not something I’ll be getting cross about anytime soon

Plus it’ll be tiddly tiny number of doses versus the Millions that will be allocated in priority order

Don't think you've much idea how any of this works op. The ones I am part of...our ccg has had to book (and pay for) a church hall for every day next week. We have been told we will have some vaccines one day next week but no guarantees when. Obvs no patients booked in yet. We will likely get one or two days notice and will then start booking people. Most old people have been primed to accept any appt by their (usually) daughters. But it is hit and miss whether at one days notice anyone will actually be able to bring them. So loads of no shows. Then ee have the ones who get lost on the way or who fail to consent on arrival. We have no back up list really as once in the vaccinating centre we have no way to call people. And it's not okay to expect elderly vulnerable people to turn up and wait for no vaccine and maybe catch covid to top it all. So end of the day at my previous one the left overs went to any nhs workers over 50 known to us who could make it in 15 mins.Then any younger nhs workers. Then the young lads who had volunteered to man the carpark. Then a couple of elderly passers by. It's a numbers game. Anyone who gets it is a win for us all.

@sashagabadon

Plus it’ll be tiddly tiny number of doses versus the Millions that will be allocated in priority order

Exactly. The aim is to get as many vaccines to as many people in as short a time as possible. If that means some people "jump the queue" then so be it its still within the objective set.

OP, as has been explained on here by many posters, surgeries are trying to contact patients to come in last minute. But it is a nightmare when you get decline after decline. It is all a learning curve and systems will improve as we go along. Many staff like me have been working on the frontline all through, brought covid home to our families and are now working extra shifts in the vaccination centres to help out. It is disheartening to see people try and pick holes in what we are trying to do. If I was asked to call in my DH to use up my last dose, I happily would, regardless of your thoughts. We have lived with months of fear/guilt about bringing covid home, but its not ok for us to protect our loved ones? OK

The idea of having a local frontline service on call makes sense, so say, call a school or firestation or police station at 3.30pm and say 'looks like we've got 6 vaccines leftover today, send down 8 staff at 5 in case we get a couple more no shows, if the extra 2 dont get it today we'll do them with the next no show'. You could get 50 or 60 frontline workers done a week per vaccine centre with only one phone call for the GP receptionist to make.

@Oblahdeeoblahdoe

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!

It isn't licenced for use in under 16s so the law has been broken here. However if they work in the home, in whatever capacity, then they are entitled to the jag (the 18 year old, not the 16 year old).

Does it honestly make much difference whether you get the jab now or in a month (or more)? Restrictions still apply regardless. Despite the apparent belief for many that you get the jab and go skipping off mask free and hugging... the more people done ASAP the better, and any waste is to be avoided.
It’s a massive thing to roll out, there will be hiccups and regional variations. After the balls up that most flu seasons start with, this has been incredible so far.

@RuthW

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.

Someone I know (NHS), works in a hospital - non clinical, told me they could have got their over 80 parent a jab at their hospital. Also, the hospital is in a different country to where the parent lives.

So it sounds like some have been told their families can get it via them being NHS? 🤔

As I understand it the medical records are updated with batch numbers in case there’s a problem. How are they managing this? What about the second jab, is that also on the list.

Plus some the vials are going further than first though and they are doing 6 rather than 5. So that’s a lot of spare vaccine.

I’d also like to see a standby list. It wouldn’t be difficult to arrange would it?

I also think it is better than wasting it - but seriously, how dim are they to crow about it on social media

While I don’t disagree with you that they should organise something in the long term it sounds to me that you are very definitely judging and have a case of sour grapes! I’m in favour of anyone that can getting these ‘waste’ vaccines. The amount of vaccine left over will depend on the syringe used and the people who drove 6 hrs will have done so in the knowledge that they were not guaranteed a vaccine I imagine. I hope all doctors are vaccinating whoever they can get hold of be it friends, family, acquaintances so long as they are not taking anything in return (bribe) then I do t have a problem in slightest and hopefully means we will be out of this quicker!

Maybe they will do standby lists now if a need has been identified - this is only the 2nd week or so of the main roll out so there will be adaptions to each surgery or vacc centres procedures as they go along, im sure.

Yes op and the gp complaining in the DM about the lack of second doses saying the extra shoukd go as extra doses to 'those in the building' does show how grabby everyone is. They want their second dose they dont care about the vulnerable...
Understandable but still.
I have heard of several on here and in the papers too. I think the issue here is also that the 40yo are not supposed to be vac at all!! So they are literally taking it away from the other groups and potentially the say 45-50 grouos.
Similarly a gp somewhere decided to vax the homeless. Other countries have found homeless less likely to get severely ill due maybe to the higher vit d from being outside.

Have they also called up their own over 80s to go first if they arent local?
Also these people will also be booking themselves in for their second doses!!!

And they are then giving the younger less vulnerable the more effective one.

Anyone who gets it is a win for us all.

This exactly. I can’t see anything wrong with using the leftover doses from no-shows on anyone at all. We need the younger people (especially 45-70s) vaccinated to appreciably reduce the number of people admitted to ICUs so vaccinating friends and family really is contributing to the overall campaign.

DH and I have just had our vaccines because we’re NHS staff. We’ve been WFH, but our Trust has been most insistent that it wants us all vaccinated ASAP. If the back room staff fall over it puts the front line staff in a more precarious position.

We’re also >50 and DH has some health issues that may make him more at risk, and we’ve been working crazy hours most weeks since last March on the Covid response, so I’m not going to feel guilty.

Better than wasting it