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?

@BluebellsGreenbells

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?

We have a stand by list in my vaccination centre, but it is really difficult to manage to be honest. We have managed to make sure that no vaccines are wasted though. I am not sure what you mean by updating medical records, we ask everyone to bring their health and care number so we can updated their electronic care record, it is really straightforward.

FFS what does it matter? The whole point is to get as many people vaccinated in as short a time as possible. That is the whole point of a vaccine, the more people that get it the better.
I would be happy if they came along the bloody queue at Tesco's with the leftovers and jabbed anyone that wanted it.

To the PP asking how they work out the logistics for the second dose when people are getting leftover vaccine. They do it the exact same way as any other time. The persons details are taken and an appointment will be given to them for the next dose.

It will make a massive difference to my over 80s parent when they finally get the call.

The worry over missing post, hearing nothing , no info on website, will be gone.

At the moment I'm scared they will need medical help shortly as their health has going down in recent weeks. Getting GP help or going into hospital with no vaccination would be so sad at this stage.

We are ready to go at any time. I hope the GP would call..

I really can't get worked up about this. Sure in an ideal world everyone would be done in exactly the right order, but at least the queue jumpers this time are just ordinary people who happen to have NHS relatives, rather than the usual rich, famous and royal.

Why not get apoplectic about surgeries having to throw away usable vaccines as if they give anyone a second dose, then they won't get any further supplies? Now that's a truly shocking story and one that the media has picked up on.

Me getting the vaccine would be nice but in no way more useful than an elderly or clinically vulnerable person.

My husband is a dentist and his vaccine got delayed. He was told that the gps have been giving their young and healthy friends and family the vaccines.

If it's true, it's absolutely abhorrent.

I am really okay with waiting. I am fit, youngish and happy for people to go before me in almost all settings.

By all means join the cat fight over vaccines if you are likely to die from covid, if not leave them to it, and get on with your life.

Everyone will get there in the end, and if you are over eighty or clinically vulnerable stay at home! Don't go out, your turn will soon be here.

I work at a hospital with a vaccine clinic. We’ve been told if we have any spare slots we are to offer it to non-patient facing staff at the hospital. We’ve also been asking anyone over the age of 80 who has come in for an appointment to go to the clinic and get it done on the day rather than waiting for the GP referral. This, however, has caused us to run out of the vaccine until the 25th Jan (it’s been an absolute nightmare!)

I haven’t heard of anyone being allowed to contact family members for left over vaccines. I have had people phoning up asking if they can pay to have it done on the sly though 😂

@Mrsmummy90

My husband is a dentist and his vaccine got delayed. He was told that the gps have been giving their young and healthy friends and family the vaccines.

If it's true, it's absolutely abhorrent.

Now that is terrible, if true. Clearly needs challenged with that surgery. The vaccination centre that I work in have been bringing dental staff in for the last week, so thankfully they are getting seen as a priority in my area and rightly so!

It's so trite to say stay at home old people.

My parent has been staying at home with the consequence their mobility and general health are deteriorating. They are also isolated and we are just giving over groceries. If they need medical care they will be very much more likely to catch covid than if they'd gone out on the high street in a mask!

I am trying to hear all the stories as said in OP to get everyones views and what is happening. Looks like some centres get better support than others. But that is not to say that some surgeries are bending the rules? It would be fairly easy I imagine to reserve some for family members if so inclined in some places as the guidelines seem to be so loose. Quite a few people on here have been quite defensive almost like it is a reward to go early doors. I came on here to get the truth as its anon and people more likely to be honest.
Its been interesting and I hope some proper supported organisation gets sorted out before vaccines start getting dumped.

@Mrsmummy90

My husband is a dentist and his vaccine got delayed. He was told that the gps have been giving their young and healthy friends and family the vaccines.

If it's true, it's absolutely abhorrent.

Have you reported the surgery doing this?

they just need to get every vaccine in an arm pdq I don't actually care whose arms so long as we build community immunity - if its the more vulnerable its better as it frees up pressure on ICU just get the thing out there and stop whinging about who has what - its not a pleasant thing to witness. Yes the system is not perfect - there are few systems that are but this green eyed jealousy suits no one

If it's just the odd ones here and there when they are up against the clock to use it up before expiry then fine. If it is happening on a wider scale then they need to be more imaginative and phone around schools, police stations, public transport operators etc. to offer spare doses to them. After all, they're far more at risk than Sarah from accounts who works from home and gets everything delivered.

@DdraigGoch

If it's just the odd ones here and there when they are up against the clock to use it up before expiry then fine. If it is happening on a wider scale then they need to be more imaginative and phone around schools, police stations, public transport operators etc. to offer spare doses to them. After all, they're far more at risk than Sarah from accounts who works from home and gets everything delivered.

This ^^

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/covid-vaccine-fury-care-home-19602448

It is a system that can be open to abuse. I think its something we all need to be aware of.
Being 'sour' doesnt even come into it. Nobody knows any one elses hardships throughout this. We are all relying on organisations to be fair and honest. Maybe if surgeries/ centres released data on who and when was getting done we can see if this is being abused.

Our hospital has got around the wastage risk by inviting more staff members to book in than we have slots/ doses.
Someone then went and shared the link for staff to book on to people outside the hospital - presumably to family/ friends, who then booked on. Now that has been discovered, the bookings for people who are not staff have been removed. So definitely no nepotism here.

Surely GP surgeries can invite more people than they have slots for, and create a standby list.
Or bring in keyworkers to use leftovers- this is what they do in Israel.
Or grab someone off the street, or ring round. Gotta be quicker than ringing your partner and waiting for then to drive 41 miles.

Disgusting.

The thing is though, all of your assumptions about what the GP surgeries have and haven’t been doing are just that, assumptions. You’re hearing Chinese whispers and making your own conclusions. How do you know they hadn’t been trying to fill slots with their own patients? So they called someone in the morning to come in in the evening. They could have been trying to fill the evening slots for a few days and thought fuck it we’ve tried to fill the slots, if anyone can get here by x time they can have it.

Maybe you should stop focusing so much energy on your perceived unfairness of situations that don’t involve you and put it into something more productive.

@Horsemad

“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? 🤔”

Yes I’m nhs and we could book up to 2 friends or family once most of the staff had been vaccinated. They had to be fellow nhs, over 70 or cev and bring proof though, so I couldn’t use mine as no one local fits those criteria that I know. (My family are hours away unfortunately so would be unable to get there in a day).

I know that our hospital have been vaccinating patients who are attending outpatient appointments and are over 80 to use up doses, but we can’t phone our friends to come in.

I know of one gp and his wife who have given themselves both doses of Pfizer though (after 3 weeks), despite only offering patients one dose with a 12 week follow up. That made me more mad as all of us nhs would prefer it after 3 weeks but don’t have a choice.

Friend, 60 ish, took 90 year old neighbour for vaccine and was offered one as there were a lot of no shows. Dont have a problem with that.

I don't understand people being wound up about this at all?!

Either way you're benefitting and not losing out. The higher number of the population being vaccinated the closer we get to normality.

You don't lose out at all so why bother being sour about it?

@NonagonInfinityOpensTheDoor Thanks for that! Shall I pop off now and crochet a blanket
Of course this affects everyone its a service we all pay for through our earnings.
After the fiasco of early testing/ antibody testing we all need to know that systems are fair and transparent. I am holding back information to preserve anonymity. This is a forum after all. Tell you what give me your email address and next time I create a post I will run it by you first? Would that be okay?

But, OP, it doesn't matter who gets the vaccine and who doesn't. There are systems in place to try and get the elderly and vulnerable vaccinated first, as it should be.

Why on Earth are you splitting hairs over other people getting the vaccine?

Either way you benefit

It not an abuse of the system. It's legitimate usage of leftover vaccine.