GP giving vaccine to his mate

[LoafEater]

So an acquaintance of mine has told a mutual friend that his friend, who is a GP in out local area, called him up at the end of a vaccine session and invited him down to the surgery to get a 'leftover' vaccine. He went and had it, and is telling people how delighted he is about it.

This acquaintance does not really work (independently wealthy/lazy), is in his mid-50s and has no health issues. I am livid. My brother lives in a care home has not had the vaccine yet, and I know lots of other people, myself included, who are working front line jobs or have health conditions that won't be getting it for a long time yet. I see from the press today that this seems to be happening all over. I suspect, knowing this man, that this was pre-planned rather than a last minute thing.

Don't know why I'm posting this really as there is nothing that can be done about it now, but I found out about this last week and I am still so cross!

Surely the stuff lasts more than a few hours?

Pfizer doesn't keep, it has to be used within a tight timeframe. Oxford etc should offer a bit more flexibility hopefully.

No the Pfizer one doesn’t.

Better than chucking it and it’s one more person off the massive vaccination list. I can’t get worked up about it.

I'm not really sure why people are getting so worked up about this. I'm 32, and don't tick any of the vulnerable/caring/keyworker boxes. At 2 million vaccines a week with a 70% take up I should be offered it between mid April and mid May. Doesn't seem that far off to me even with people supposedly jumping the queue.

@SchadenfreudePersonified because as I understand it ones a pack is open it’s only useable for a few hours. People are late or don’t turn up, leftovers are probably inevitable.

@CrackOpenTheGin

My dad is about to start chemo for cancer. His GP friend snuck him in to give him the last dose in the vial as he said it wouldn’t work so well once he started chemo. My dad would be eligible for the vaccine in the next group but, for the sake of a few weeks, it would work less well for him then. My 70 year old nan doesn’t have to leave her home as we deliver everything to her. My dad now has to go to a Covid ridden hospital every day for 5 weeks for chemo. Damn right he should get it before her. Sometimes you have to do what is right rather than what the incompetent government tells you to do. All people about to start chemo should get the vaccine before they start and I’m glad my dad’s GP made that call on his own.

Completely agree with this, your dad should definitely have got the jab.

I suppose the problem is that if it was a go “friend” that did it, in the capacity of a friend, not through work, it may be that others who are in a similar position to your dad won’t get it, because they don’t have a gp friend which is a shame.

My parents (late 70s) got their first jab exactly in this way - someone they know got a phone call from someone they know who heads up the local vaccination centre. Plenty of people don’t turn up for their appt plus they are sent excess doses. They will go to waste if not used that day. So they phone round elderly/vulnerable/carers that they know and say “get here now”. Those that are able to drop everything and turn up ASAP are jabbed and put on the system for their second jab, all above board.
This is typical NHS organisation ...

'agree with pp saying how long it takes to get an elderly person out of the house at short notice. I could never have achieved less than an hour with my parents or PIL. Apart from anything else, a lot of over 80s don't drive.'

But many are very active and able to grab their coats and leave their houses at short notice! Many also drive. Even if it were the next list down the over 70s and CEV, but fit friends and family just seems a massive unethical free for all. Admin staff get your priority lists/standby organised fgs.

Many small Gps practices don't tend to use pzizer due to storage issue I believe.

Thank you to those who responded to my query.

It's heartbreaking to think that so much vaccine may be getting binned. If people don't intend to have it, perhaps they cn inform their local vaccination cente instead of just not bothering to turn up, and that will give them a chance to contact someone else.

As another poster suggested - a phone tree for teachers, shop personnel, police etc, which are on the front line in this pandemic, and who might be able to go at short notice, would be a good idea.

Get a grip. Everyone will be vaccinated. These vaccines would go in the bin if not in someone’s arm.

In other countries (I think Israel?) you can ask to go on a standby list, and queue up at the back of the hospital or doctor's surgery so if there is any unused vaccine at the end of the day, you can have it on a "first come, first served" basis. A bit like standby theatre tickets - you might be queuing for nothing, but you take that risk.

Apparently in the UK we didn't want to do that because of the risk of social distancing in queues. So obviously there will be some unused vaccine at the end of each day, because some people don't turn up. The doctors can either throw it away or use it on themselves/admin staff/their mates, and I'd rather they did the latter.

I can understand your anger. My parents are late 70’s one has battled two forms of cancer in the last two years so I can’t wait for them to get their vaccinations.

I also know someone who is in their 50’s, wasn’t scheduled for a vaccine yet and their workplace was offered leftover vaccines from a nearby care home. I don’t know whether they were right to do this etc, I did wonder how it would be recorded.

I would rather vaccines be used than wasted but I DO understand your anger.

Many centres are over booking and don’t have any spares left over, they could potentially plan better but I suppose in bad weather it’s inevitable that some people won’t make it in

Some people tun up but are not eligible for medical reasons.

@EatingAllTheCookies

Better than binning it.

Exactly.

The guy was stupid to talk and laugh about it, he might have guessed there would be jealous people around.

We'll all have the vaccine sooner or later, if some manage to get it early, good for them.

If you have 5 doses left over you want to ring people who have a 95% chance of turning up quickly, not those with a 10% chance.
I think organised wastage lists are a great idea but I can see why they aren't always practical to manage. I'd rather a jab went to a friend of the GP than go to waste.

We could get to a surgery in 15mins if called, my DPs would barely have got their shoes on by then.

I just don't understand why they don't have standby lists that people can sign up to if they can be available at short notice to attend the surgery

Snore! So sick of all the constant negativity towards the vaccinated. Thia information from you is surely just gossip though isnt it? If it was left to the public no one would be vaccinated because someone else's granny would always be higher on the list. I'm a key worker and the crap I've had to put up with from the very few people who know is disgusting! I had to sheild in lockdown 1 due to being cv to but oh so and so next door is 83 and hasn't heard yet. OK well everyone will get thier turn. I'm sure you'll be happy with the GP along with so many other key workers and myself quit after this because of the level of flack we are getting.

I am a volunteer at a vaccine hub that currently does the Pfizer only and not every day due to supply issues. I am not medical. I stand outside in the car park for 3 or 4 hours at a time doing marshalling.
There is a reserve list. Some of the booked appointments do not turn up. The reserves are contacted but this may be towards the end of the day and they might not answer the phone or be able to come or have transport etc. Some reserves do come though. The other week I too had a leftover dose (no side effects btw) an hour after the hub officially closed whilst we were tidying up etc as it would have been binned and further the hub was not opening for the next few days due to no supply. I would never expect to have a dose ahead of anyone on the appointments list or reserve list who was able to attend but yes I had my first vaccine in those circumstances and felt extremely grateful. I am group 9 on the priority list. I volunteered for this as my work sector is shut and when I did volunteer it was before the rollout started so there was nothing about left over doses.

@EatingAllTheCookies

Better than binning it.

Indeed

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

‘Why they haven't set up teacher phone trees for the spare is beyond me.‘

I really like that idea.

They have in some places. My teacher DH was vaccinated this morning.

My parents (mid to late 70s) had a phone call from the GP surgery asking if they could get there within 10 minutes to receive the 'spare' doses at the end of a session.

I would far rather that someone, anyone was offered the dose than it go to waste. I also don't care whether that's someone in the next eligible group, or someone walking down the road.

I'm furious that people miss appointments they have made. It isn't just a few people doing this.

If you don't want the vaccine, that's up to you, but don't make an appointment and then just not turn up.

I think people just aren't seeing how the centres work, we are using a closed gym. NHS staff doing overtime and the rest volunteers. We have to close at 8. At 7.20 the last people in the list come through the door.

We get then vaccinated ASAP most leftovers go to people who are with them, either spouses or carers.

After the injection people need to wait 15 minutes. We would know by about 7.35 if there are any leftovers-the most ever has been 3.

So in order for the vaccine to be used we have 10minutes to find someone, get them on the system, take relevant history, consent obtained and injected. They have to be done by 7.45 at the latest.

There is no admin person from the NHS or GP's, just a volunteer to get them registered on a very limited computer system.

We have no phone numbers to contact people to come in and have no intention of making volunteers stay late to start rounding people up.

I'm sure at some point a better system will be in place, but for right now this country is doing a fucking incredible job of getting this vaccine out there, any dose in an arm is better than in the bin.

PilatesPeach I think you explain really well why even those on the reserve list aren't always contactable later in the day and of course it made sense to vaccinate you if the dose is literally about to be binned- and great that you are a volunteer, if that's your 'reward' then I think it's entirely fair.

it is unfair but better than it going to waste. Every vaccination gets us closer to coming to the end of this big mess, regardless of how it benefits individuals.
Most vaccination hubs have some kind of standby system afaik which prioritises older/more vulnerable people. It could be that they couldn't get anyone (else) to come in quickly so therefore phoning a friend that could be relied upon to turn up quickly is probably the next best thing.

If it was me I wouldn't be boasting about it though, I'd be keeping my mouth shut.