Everyone over 70 in England can now book themselves!

[notevenat20]

www.nhs.uk/book-a-coronavirus-vaccination/do-you-have-an-nhs-number

I had no idea. Apologies if this is common knowledge.

I 'm sure that in some parts of the country there are a lot of unbooked slots looking for recipients .

I'm in London ,heard from friend that daughter who used to work at and who lives 10 mins away from major teaching hospital ,contacted because 700 ( !!!!) spare doses .

I was contacted by neighbour ( currently working at above major teaching hosp) because there were spare slots this weekend .

And seperately ,I've been contacted 3 times by two different London hospitals to offer vaccination despite having had vaccination via GP surgery recently .
I'm 70 .Quite fit .Cancer history .

Thank you OP, my ECV father, in his 70s, has just booked himself in. We were wondering why he hadn’t had a letter and weren’t going to bother the gp surgery.

Thank you OP
DF is now booked in.

I bookedonlineformy dad who is 90 four weeks ago. The link can googled. His letter came 5 days after. They checked dob and nhs number at the hub.

Our NHS dr was late calling over 80s due to admin. It was much easier at the hub too. I worry for elderly without people looking our for them regarding this as it seems hit and miss from which postcode you fall under and surgery group.

@Skipsurvey

do you have to work out the second vaccination date or do they work it out for you?

They work it out for you

Thank you! I didn’t know about this! I’m CEV and have just booked in.

@Skipsurvey

do you have to work out the second vaccination date or do they work it out for you?

You book both at the same time

Thank you so much just booked my mum in. She is so happy. Un mumsnetty hugs.

I'm gutted that Scotland is so far behind. Why is this being allowed to happen?

Thanks, just booked for Mum. X

@ssd

This is brilliant, come on Scotland we need to catch up.

The Times reported large vaccine hubs are opening up here next week. Edinburgh EICC is one, I forget the others but Aberdeen was definitely mentioned too. I think Monday ie tomorrow?

Just wondering if there is some way to post a link to this thread on gransnet?? Might help a lot more people

@TammyTwoSwanson

I booked! Getting my vaccine tomorrow!!!

I tried to book for non CEV DH, and it wouldn't let me. I wouldn't have confirmed obv, but testing it made me feel better.

Cannot believe it. So happy!

Over the moon for you @TammyTwoSwanson!

This is my favourite MN thread of all time by far. Every time someone says they have booked in a relative for the jab I think of it as a life saved. Please tell everyone you know!

I have shared this with my parents, both in their 70's. If they manage to book, what happens when they go to the appointment? Obviously they wont have a letter or any document to take with them, do they need to print anything off? Thanks

@notevenat20

This is my favourite MN thread of all time by far. Every time someone says they have booked in a relative for the jab I think of it as a life saved. Please tell everyone you know!

I know right?! That's why I've asked MN to reinstate the original threads - they were SO heartwarming.

@Bugsy73

I have shared this with my parents, both in their 70's. If they manage to book, what happens when they go to the appointment? Obviously they wont have a letter or any document to take with them, do they need to print anything off? Thanks

At the end of the booking process they will be given two reference numbers. They need to give these at the appointment

I saw the link on a now-deleted thread on Thursday and passed it on to my over 70 in-laws, a CEV friend and another over 70 family member. One has now had their first jab, the other three are having them tomorrow.
They were all so grateful

I am CEV and over 70, I live in Kent, the nearest place for m e is about 14 miles away or London !

Just to give some clarification on a few points on this thread:

The link is legitimate and if you, or a friend or relative, are in the eligible groups in England (over 70, or clinically extremely vulnerable), then you can book. The government is trying to do as many people in those categories by mid February, so you’ll be doing them a favour in reaching the target and getting on to the other groups as soon as possible!

It will only give you options for the large Vaccination Centres, or a pharmacy-led site (which might not be in a physical pharmacy, eg the one near me is in a supermarket). You can’t book at a GP-led site through that link.

There’s a list of all the vaccination sites currently operating here. You can have a look at the ones near you. HH means hospital hub, VC means vaccination centre (ie mass vaccs sites), PCN means primary care grouping, ie GP-led, and pharmacy means pharmacy-led (not necessarily in an actual pharmacy).

You can wait for your GP to contact you if you’d prefer not to go to any of the options on the link on this thread. If they haven’t already, they should soon (assuming you are currently eligible).

One reason you might not be able to book through that link, even if you are eligible, is because the invites are only going to people who live within a 45 min off peak travel time of the big vaccination centres. There’s around 50 of them currently, so they don’t cover the entire country (but between the GP, pharmacy and VC sites the whole country is very almost covered).

You can find your NHS number here.

Good luck to everyone booking!

@notevenat20

This is my favourite MN thread of all time by far. Every time someone says they have booked in a relative for the jab I think of it as a life saved. Please tell everyone you know!

Jonathan Vam Tam an others have been quoting the following stats:

For every 20 Covid vaccines in a care home, one death prevented.
For every 160 vaccines in the over 80s, one death prevented.
For every 350 vaccines in the over 75s, one death prevented.
For every 600 vaccines in the over 70s, one death prevented.

And that doesn’t even get on to the severe illness in these groups prevented by Covid vaccination.

Link here to the source behind these figures.

I can't Thankyou enough - just book my CEV mum in and I'm so happy. I had no idea, we were just waiting for a letter. The appt not until 15th feb though so makes me wonder how they are planning to fit everyone in those categories before then if that's the next available and assuming others haven't booked yet x

Just wondering if there is some way to post a link to this thread on gransnet?? Might help a lot more people

That's a great idea!

Here to back up @Wigeon

When I booked for MIL there were hundreds and hundreds of slots available every day this week.

So many older people see 'wait for your letter' on the page and they won't go any further which is a such a shame. It took me several attempts to persuade my older relatives, none of whom had had the letter. They all booked after reading this thread.

For over 70's it is not queue jumping. How can it be queue jumping when you are at the front of the queue?!

Thanks to the OP and others who have been so encouraging.

My parents booked via the website (over 70). They heard about it from a friend and phoned me to check it wasn't ‘cheating’ and I reassured them after having read about it on the first thread. They’re really happy.

As it happens it was a nightmare but this wouldn’t have been any different had they waited for their letter! When they booked they could choose any slot any day so chose one on a day to suit (the following day) at a large nearby centre. When they arrived, they were met by queues of hundreds and had to wait outside for 2.5 hours!!! It turns out there was a glitch in the system and the website hadn’t updated when people booked and kept the slots open for others to keep booking! They also ended up with a parking fine! 🙈

They came away cold and fed up but of course happy to have had the vaccine. They did say they wished they’d waited for their letter to arrive. It arrived the next day...asking them to book via the website!

Just hope it’s somehow sorted for their 2nd vaccine which they also got booked in for at the same time, and which others in the queue also said they were booked for-same date!

Anyway long story but yes absolutely book in! We’re trying to persuade MIL at the mo but she’s currently put off by the ‘wait for your letter’ message and won’t be swayed...