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Original poster

Guilt over getting vaccine

243 replies

PatsyKen · 06/02/2021 16:29

DH and I are both teachers. We got a call an hour who from a doctor acquaintance who was doing covid jabs today and they had quite a few spare so they were all contacting teacher contacts to see if they get down to the vaccine centre ASAP. We live 10 minutes away so went immediately. I feel guilty! I feel bad I’ve jumped the queue when we’re in good health. We both are in daily contact with lots of children (I look after Y1/2 key worker kids rather than online teaching) but I feel almost embarrassed to have got it. Would you feel bad? Should I not have taken it?

OP posts:
Wingingit15 · 06/02/2021 18:43

@Dannn

Absolutely do not feel guilty! They would have gone to waste otherwise which is incomprehensible. I’m really pleased to hear GP surgeries are doing this!
How are they doing it though? It just seems a bit ridiculous Dr calls his mates. It can’t be hard to have a jcvi rationale list, even if it’s eg people who live within 0:5 of a mile in next class down
Thethingswedoforlove · 06/02/2021 18:45

I’m so pleased you were offered it and even more pleased you accepted! Totally no need to feel guilty whatsoever.

Ridcully82 · 06/02/2021 18:45

A jab in the arm is worth two in the bush,op!
Really glad you've been done:more protection for society,and no wastage.

PurpleDaisies · 06/02/2021 18:46

I don’t think anyone thinks the op should felt guilty or vaccines should have been wasted.

This really isn’t a fair system though.

SuperbGorgonzola · 06/02/2021 18:53

wingingit if you did it by radius of the vaccine centre we would have people crying "postcode lottery".

I think they do need to balance what is strictly fair and what is most efficient. I don't think a perfect system exists. "Call your mates" isn't the method i'd choose but on balance I am happier that it's in OP's arm than in the bin.

sandgrown · 06/02/2021 19:02

I volunteered at a vaccination centre and was offered a spare vaccine. The receptionist was ringing round their patients but many could not get there quickly enough.

Figgygal · 06/02/2021 19:05

Don’t feel guilty you were offered it to avoid wastage not one of those cheeky fuckers who jumped the queue cheating the system

IrishMamaMia · 06/02/2021 19:05

Great news when it goes to someone playing a key role in society. Other countries are vaccinating their key-workers as a matter of priority and I think we should too

HelloMissus · 06/02/2021 19:07

Don’t feel guilty.
Why waste them?
My DD’s friend got one cos she was with her nan at the end of the session and she’s only 25.
May as well!

HelloMissus · 06/02/2021 19:08

DH’s mate got one cos he was picking up his missus from work (pharmacist)

PurpleDaisies · 06/02/2021 19:10

My DD’s friend got one cos she was with her nan at the end of the session and she’s only 25.

That’s so wrong through. The risk to someone aged 25 with no other health conditions is tiny.

This needs fixing. We’ve got millions of people who are at actual risk snd they’re doing random 25 year olds? There needs to be a much better system.

Wingingit15 · 06/02/2021 19:12

@SuperbGorgonzola

wingingit if you did it by radius of the vaccine centre we would have people crying "postcode lottery".

I think they do need to balance what is strictly fair and what is most efficient. I don't think a perfect system exists. "Call your mates" isn't the method i'd choose but on balance I am happier that it's in OP's arm than in the bin.

Postcode lottery is better than mates perks IMo especially as it has auto impacts for 2nd jab ordering too. Seems ridiculous a 25yo accompany her Gran gets it when CEV and over 70s awaiting appts
SuperbGorgonzola · 06/02/2021 19:17

The 25yo was right there though, and the clock is ticking. By the time they get hold of a CEV person who can be there within 20 minutes through traffic and everything else it might be too late.

It's not ideal but it is an efficient use of resources. Nobody is being pushed further down the queue because of the comparitively miniscule number of people being vaccinated in this way.

That 25yo could have caught it and passed it on. Now she won't. That's good.

Boulshired · 06/02/2021 19:18

It’s also depends on what time the no shows happen. Last thing at night there isn’t really any time to go through a list. With 10 minutes to spare they have either tried phoning people from the list or have only a few extra doses at closing. You could spend more than 10 minutes phoning.

PurBal · 06/02/2021 19:20

You didn't jump the queue. You were invited to have it.

Wingingit15 · 06/02/2021 19:24

@SuperbGorgonzola

The 25yo was right there though, and the clock is ticking. By the time they get hold of a CEV person who can be there within 20 minutes through traffic and everything else it might be too late.

It's not ideal but it is an efficient use of resources. Nobody is being pushed further down the queue because of the comparitively miniscule number of people being vaccinated in this way.

That 25yo could have caught it and passed it on. Now she won't. That's good.

She can probably- still catch it and pass it on though. The vaccine is to minimise serious illness arising from covid which she is incredibly unlikely to have that young
PurpleDaisies · 06/02/2021 19:25

@SuperbGorgonzola

The 25yo was right there though, and the clock is ticking. By the time they get hold of a CEV person who can be there within 20 minutes through traffic and everything else it might be too late.

It's not ideal but it is an efficient use of resources. Nobody is being pushed further down the queue because of the comparitively miniscule number of people being vaccinated in this way.

That 25yo could have caught it and passed it on. Now she won't. That's good.

It shouldn’t have got to that point. There shouldn’t need to be an emergency ring around at the end of the day. There could easily be a call list for the day for people who could come at short notice.

How do you know it is a minuscule number of people? I haven’t seen any data on this.

DarceyDashwood · 06/02/2021 19:31

I don’t think people think through the whole “reserve list” concept. Sounds great in theory but in reality just would be difficult to implement in an effective manner. Ultimately if 500,000 vaccines a day are being given out, and 99% are going to the priority list, if 1% are given out ad hoc in an informal basis at the end of the day, to present vaccines going in the bin, then that isn’t an issue.

What would be awful would be for jabs to go in the bin. Ultimately every jab makes everyone safer and a step closer to normality!

Don’t feel guilty OP.

Takeitonthechin · 06/02/2021 19:31

No, don't feel embarrassed, all key workers should be able to take the vaccine

DayBath · 06/02/2021 19:35

What few people seem to consider with using up leftover jabs is how many younger fitter people will be holding up the queue in 3 months time when their second jabs are now due. They will need a proper scheduled appointment for their second one because it needs to be done within a certain time frame. They can't wait for a phone call and hope there's some going spare at the right time. This means that the next legitimate cohort will have to wait because all those queue jumpers need sorting out.

So while it's a reasonable idea on the surface it actually causes a bottleneck further down the line and for that reason I think the doctor who decided to do that was being massively unreasonable. Instead they should have made efforts to contact other people who were next down the list, or older people to use the spares on, and it sounds like this person was deliberately making a shortlist of teachers for no real reason other than they happen to know a few. You didn't deserve it at this particular time.

Rillington · 06/02/2021 19:35

I think it's a piss take the 25 year old got it. They aren't even in the top 10 priority groups. There are people far more at risk.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 06/02/2021 19:37

How are they doing it though? It just seems a bit ridiculous Dr calls his mates. It can’t be hard to have a jcvi rationale list, even if it’s eg people who live within 0:5 of a mile in next class down
I don’t think you should feel guilty at all, and of course it’s better than it going to waste. However, I agree with the above. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible to have a list of contacts in the next group, who live local to the GP or vaccination centre, and who could get there within minutes, rather than them going to contacts of the GPs. We’re in the part of the country with the largest number of over eighties in the U.K., still plenty of people here in the next group down, in their seventies haven’t even had their letters yet. But the major vaccination centre is in an old cottage hospital, slap bang in the middle of an area where there are far more older generation households than younger. Some of the probably living literally across the road who haven’t been invited yet. It’s nuts to think at the end of the day the GPS/vaccinators there might be calling up friends and family instead of the locals in group 3,4 or even 5. I can’t help but think it isn’t beyond the wit of man to sort this out. Though again, don’t feel guilty, that’s the way it is and best wishes to you!

Wingingit15 · 06/02/2021 19:38

@DarceyDashwood

I don’t think people think through the whole “reserve list” concept. Sounds great in theory but in reality just would be difficult to implement in an effective manner. Ultimately if 500,000 vaccines a day are being given out, and 99% are going to the priority list, if 1% are given out ad hoc in an informal basis at the end of the day, to present vaccines going in the bin, then that isn’t an issue.

What would be awful would be for jabs to go in the bin. Ultimately every jab makes everyone safer and a step closer to normality!

Don’t feel guilty OP.

How is a doctor calling their mates any different to (presumably delegatable to more admin staff) ringing round a list ? Actually the more I think about it, the more uncomfortable I am, I think it’s really wrong reading some of the examples here. However maybe I’m influenced by the fact my direct family are still waiting for jabs and cev / over 70 and those are categories which statistically likely to not do well (ie the very categories the jab is meant for) and I know they too would jump in a car if their doctor chum rung them, but sadly don’t move in those circles
DareIask · 06/02/2021 19:40

I find it unbelievable and rather shocking a doctor or a group of doctors decided to pick 'teachers'. They more likely picked people they knew that they thought should have them.

I'm glad they didn't go to waste but I think they're decision making is wrong.

Wingingit15 · 06/02/2021 19:40

@DayBath

What few people seem to consider with using up leftover jabs is how many younger fitter people will be holding up the queue in 3 months time when their second jabs are now due. They will need a proper scheduled appointment for their second one because it needs to be done within a certain time frame. They can't wait for a phone call and hope there's some going spare at the right time. This means that the next legitimate cohort will have to wait because all those queue jumpers need sorting out.

So while it's a reasonable idea on the surface it actually causes a bottleneck further down the line and for that reason I think the doctor who decided to do that was being massively unreasonable. Instead they should have made efforts to contact other people who were next down the list, or older people to use the spares on, and it sounds like this person was deliberately making a shortlist of teachers for no real reason other than they happen to know a few. You didn't deserve it at this particular time.

Exactly this, yes about impact on second rounds also