Surprised with the vaccine text! Any advice is much appreciated.

[2boysand1princess]

So I’m 40. Healthy BMI, mild asthma (more childhood asthma which only fares up with a bad cold/flu and easily fixed with inhalers)
I work in education, but not a classroom teacher or TA. I’m a consultant in a very large academy.
So, I got my text! Feel bad as mum and dad still not had their vaccines yet. Both under 70 and no health conditions.
In my area lots of teachers have been or are being vaccinated. My son’s school staff have all been done. They all got the Pfizer though. I’ve been invited to my GP surgery, so expect will be given the Oxford.
2 quick questions;
Do you think I’ve been offered it because I work in schools or because I’m registered as asthmatic and always offered the flu vaccine (never actually had the flu jab though)
And lastly, those of you who have had the Oxford vaccine, what were your side effects? Bit nervous as last time I had a vaccination was when I was a kid!
Thanks in advance

Both my husband and myself aged 61 & 60 respectively no health issues had our vaccination this week. (I phoned our GP practice to update our contact details and was surprised and pleased to be given appointments for us both to attend the next day) We received the Oxford jab apart from feeling a bit uncomfortable around the area where we had the jab we are absolutely fine with no side effects.
Lots of teachers/ social services workers in our area are receiving/offered their jabs too so please don’t turn your offer down if you do goodness knows how long you will have to wait before it will be offered again.

You’ve been invited because of your asthma. Teachers aren’t (currently) in a priority group for the vaccine just because of their profession. If you know of whole groups of teachers being vaccinated, that’s either a GP surgery going rogue (possible), or they did have health conditions which you’re unaware of, or it was using up vaccine which would otherwise have gone to waste.

Don’t feel bad about getting it ahead of your parents - they’ll be getting it very soon, and it’s not possible to vaccinate everyone in exact priority order. And in fact, 60-64 yr olds without health conditions are below 16-64 yr olds with health conditions in the priority list.

By the way, GPs are still getting quite a bit of Pfizer, so you don’t know whether you’ll get AZ or Pfizer when you turn up, and you can’t choose even if they have both in the fridge (which some do).

How would GPS even know who are school staff? I’ve never told my GP surgery my occupation!

@2boysand1princess

This one of the reasons I feel so guilty. I really hope you get the vaccine very soon. My parents are 64 and 67 and I feel they should be getting it before me, but they still haven’t been called either.

OP, over 65s can book their own jab here - www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ So that sorts one of your parents!

No idea but if your parents are over 65 they can book their own jabs using this link. No need to wait for a letter

www.nhs.uk/book-a-coronavirus-vaccination/do-you-have-an-nhs-number?fbclid=IwAR2rJxwi8tZczapX3ILOHXUzCGmjQCDTMQxseA0l-8o0nnJX91c7jQ6uMgQ

That's great news OP.

I'm really hoping to get one soon (mild asthma but another existing condition, which makes accessing normal medical treatment difficult).

Hopefully your 67 year old parent will get one very soon but there's no need to feel guilty!

Also agree about the Pfizer jab situation- our GP Practice is also doing the Pfizer so it could well be that one unless you know that yours is doing the Oxford jab.

You might be in the same cohort as your parents, but they might not have their mobiles listed at the surgery. So you’d get a text and they’d have to wait for a phone call.

Sounds to me like takeup is low in preceeding group.

Yes they have, some colleagues have. They're all invited but are finding it hard to get a slot.

@Wigeon

You’ve been invited because of your asthma. Teachers aren’t (currently) in a priority group for the vaccine just because of their profession. If you know of whole groups of teachers being vaccinated, that’s either a GP surgery going rogue (possible), or they did have health conditions which you’re unaware of, or it was using up vaccine which would otherwise have gone to waste.

Don’t feel bad about getting it ahead of your parents - they’ll be getting it very soon, and it’s not possible to vaccinate everyone in exact priority order. And in fact, 60-64 yr olds without health conditions are below 16-64 yr olds with health conditions in the priority list.

GPS are allowed to use some discretion where they have spare capacity. From what I understand many are prioritising key (critical) workers once NHS and social care have had opportunity to book.

@Dancingwithdreams - GPs do not have discretion to vaccinate people they consider to be key workers. Eg see this letter from today from NHS England to GPs (but there have been many other statements before today:

“Vaccine should not be given to people outside of cohorts 1-6. It is absolutely permissible, and indeed encouraged, to have reserve lists of recipients, who can come in at short notice if vaccine is still available. However, these lists should only be drawn from eligible recipients in these cohorts”

letter here

That doesn’t mean that some of them have in fact been vaccinating teachers, police officers etc...