Which vaccine should I choose?

[Serendipity09]

I have just been sent the link for my Covid vaccine, I'm 44 but have underlying health problems and am a carer.
I wasn't expecting to be given the choice about which vaccine to choose before I book!
So now I have no idea....initially I was all for the more natural Oxford vaccine as opposed to the synthetically made Pfizer vaccine, but now studies seem to show that Pfizer is more effective?
I do have allergies, not severe, but moderate I would say - although that doesn't seem to be so much of a worry with Pfizer now?
I really didn't mind which one I was having, just felt pleased to be having it, but now I've been given the choice, I feel anxious about it!!
Any wise words please?

@Crunchymum

So have people been having vaccines in the future?

That 3rd box says "for people who had 1st vaccine on 21.12.21" ???

(I can see underneath is correctly say 21.12.20)

well that is obviously a typo....

Seems risky to expect / allow people to book their second dose online?

Especially as those who had it in December would have been older (and less likely to book online?)

I also got the choice several weeks ago (I chose Oxford btw).

I work in Social Care. We got the link and could chose from 4 different local hospitals (London). It also told you which hospital was carrying which vaccine.

I only came on to have a debate/think out loud about which one to book. Thank you to everyone who gave me food for thought on that!

All booked now.

Are you a healthcare worker OP? I had the vaccine yesterday and my booking page looked nothing like yours (no pretty pictures for one thing). I booked via the standard NHS website. Where do you live? (region will do, I’m not planning to come round to your house)

Maybe it’s a beta version of the booking page not available to all yet 🤷‍♀️

@MrsFezziwig

Are you a healthcare worker OP? I had the vaccine yesterday and my booking page looked nothing like yours (no pretty pictures for one thing). I booked via the standard NHS website. Where do you live? (region will do, I’m not planning to come round to your house)

West Mids. No, I'm not a healthcare worker, it was a link from my GP surgery.

The NHS website also asks you to book your second appointment when you book your first - so I’ve booked mine for 11 weeks after the first.

Why would people not believe the op?

No idea why mine is different then! Hope it's not a scam. But then it came from the text number all my GP texts come from....

@Laaaaa

Why would people not believe the op?

I have been wondering this too Laaaa! I'm not really interested to be honest, I have far too much going on in my life to make up that I have a choice between vaccines :D

Why not believe?

1. There's a poster elsewhere already using this to 'prove' they were right about making vaccine choices

1. There's a glaring typo... Not something I'd easily pass off as an 'Oops!'

1. The screenshot doesn't look like the booking form I have seen.

Something is possibly amiss...

Ah well, that's up to you. This wasn't the reason I posted.
I'm on hold to GP to check it is all legit.

Definitely nothing amiss on my part! I have nothing to gain by making up this story, quite hilarious really :D

@CuriousaboutSamphire On dear lord - surely
not!? 😂 You REALLY don’t like me.

I can’t.

“For patient who had 1st dose” - yikes, that doesn’t sound very professional wording.

Is the link an official NHS one? NHS.uk?

@PuppyMonkey

“For patient who had 1st dose” - yikes, that doesn’t sound very professional wording.

True. As a 44 year old mother of 3 with a busy job and nursing a mum through a recent op and a friend going through a nervous breakdown, I have tonnes of time to make a form to 'pretend' I've been offered a choice of vaccine! I have contacted the GP and all is booked, so I look forward to receiving my vaccine of choice tomorrow.... Jeez, puts you off asking for advice!

I hope your GP confirms it OP. Given the number bit vaccine scams around you can't be too careful.

Then again you said you had already booked and didn't say you'd been asked for any bank details...

@Serendipity09 Lord of posters here don’t believe we should have a choice, which explains some of the responses you’re getting 🙄

@Serendipity09 I wasn’t suggesting you’d made the form, I thought it sounded a bit of a scam. Glad you’ve sorted it.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Why not believe?

1. There's a poster elsewhere already using this to 'prove' they were right about making vaccine choices

1. There's a glaring typo... Not something I'd easily pass off as an 'Oops!'

1. The screenshot doesn't look like the booking form I have seen.

Something is possibly amiss...

Absolutely!

People are making up stuff all the time on Mumsnet. It is really sensible to be very cautious, particularly on the topic of coronavirus. There are many reasons why individuals want to stir up confusion and concern, or a discussion about the safety of specific vaccines.

‘Careless talk, costs lives’

I had the choice as I was also sent a list of four or five venues throughout our county to book into. I work in health and social care.

The decision really wound me up and I wished I hadn’t been given an option! I initially wanted Pfizer as less people I knew had bad side effects (not the best reason I know ) and because of efficacy data. But the Oxford one was available the next day and I was concerned at that time that the 2nd dose of Pfizer may get pushed back much later than they had trialled it.

So I went for Oxford, had side effects for a week. Apparently the venue I chose (a hospital) will contact me to book in for the booster.

I'm not aware that Oxford is more "natural"?

I wasn't given any choice, had Astra-Zeneca, no side effects aside from a sore arm, and already have my second dose booked. But I'm aware that others who have had AZ did have side-effects, so obviously it would be dangerous to generalise.

The majority of people haven’t and won’t be given a choice so it’s a non issue for many.
I’ve had it and no option to choose it depends where you have it too .
Maybe it’s a trial I don’t know but it’s not a option that a lot will have anyway .

@doireallyneedaname

Can’t believe - isn’t the second dose appointment booked when you book the first?

I had my first one three weeks ago. They gave me a card afterwards [said NHS on it] with the date and batch no. and told to wait to hear from the surgery about the second one.