Vaccine offered to all 16-65 year olds at my GP

[Surprisevaccine]

That's what's happened at my GP and I had mine today, 27 no underlying health conditions. Has it happened at anyone elses?

Wasn't expecting to receive it until the Autumn!

One variable that could be at play here though, is the number of people going to the vaccine hubs

@Babyroobs Yep or in some areas people aren't going to the hubs and they're a bit idle. IDK if there's something in between hubs and GPs, but that's what I heard about a vaccination centre (thought it was local but apparently in Tower Hamlets.)

The truth is that people DO NOT KNOW what is on their medical records to trigger their invitation. It can be a range of things in your past medical history that can predicate that you are more likely to catch covid.

But I see that someone has already claimed that 'wealth' is one of those things. As if medical staff working flat out to get jabs in arms give a flying fuck about a patient's bank balance. Oh, how the irrational need to blame and be envious rolls on and on.

@TrickyD

DH and I have both had first jab. We are 76 and 69.

Today our 16 year old grandson received an invitation from the GP’s surgery to have the jab next week

Puzzling, no underlying medical conditions, not overweight, mixed race - but so is his sister, 15 and not offered it,

His dad, also unjabbed, is rather rueful.

His 15 year old sister wouldn’t be offered it as it isn’t licensed for under-16 year olds.

My friend had hers today, 45 no health conditions, south Manchester. They are apparently just very ahead in her area

Same area plus 20 years ,plus health conditions, no vaccine?

I had mine in W Sussex last week. Special schools in the area all got a letter.
We could go to one of 9 locations in the area bookable over the website.At one point only Brighton had spaces and then suddenly Chichester had two full days worth of appointments available.
Most people in there were younger than middle aged.
Second appointment isn’t until mid May though.

My friend is having hers next week in Hampshire 45no underlying conditions.

The apparent variation between areas some that have sped through the groups and some going slower frustrates me. Many people in higher groups would likely be happy to drive to another area if necessary and vaccines left over.

I’m just personally gutted after being bumped out of the group 6 as they have changed it for asthmatics. Am also a teacher in school each day. Underlying conditions but not listed in any groups (but if I did get COVID badly or die that narrative would be ‘to be expected as had underlying conditions’ IMO). Husband has had hospital admissions for asthma as a child but not an adult, however he is worse than me with higher dose meds. We wondered if he qualified for group 6 and wrote to GP, awaiting response.

@Haffiana

The truth is that people DO NOT KNOW what is on their medical records to trigger their invitation. It can be a range of things in your past medical history that can predicate that you are more likely to catch covid.

But I see that someone has already claimed that 'wealth' is one of those things. As if medical staff working flat out to get jabs in arms give a flying fuck about a patient's bank balance. Oh, how the irrational need to blame and be envious rolls on and on.

Not many poor people living in Richmond. I lived here, and can speak at unfairness of it. Why should the wealthy areas get it, and the poorer not?

It is often poorer areas left lagging behind.

@MeMeMeYou

The apparent variation between areas some that have sped through the groups and some going slower frustrates me. Many people in higher groups would likely be happy to drive to another area if necessary and vaccines left over.

I’m just personally gutted after being bumped out of the group 6 as they have changed it for asthmatics. Am also a teacher in school each day. Underlying conditions but not listed in any groups (but if I did get COVID badly or die that narrative would be ‘to be expected as had underlying conditions’ IMO). Husband has had hospital admissions for asthma as a child but not an adult, however he is worse than me with higher dose meds. We wondered if he qualified for group 6 and wrote to GP, awaiting response.

I’m 42

Oh, how the irrational need to blame and be envious rolls on and on

It’s hardly irrational envy if you’re over 60 with underlying conditions, it’s righteous indignation. I was delighted, as an over 65, to get mine today. Meanwhile my bloke, who’s 63 with diabetes and asthma, is still waiting, I think he’d have every right to be pissed off if young, low risk people are getting theirs first.

Postcode lottery admin so typical of NHS. Those doing it properly are putting in lots of resource to ensure that people are invited in order of clinical vulnerability. Others are just scrambling to get in who they can so the supplies have been used up, they are either lacking the resource and/or the competence to get it done in order of clinical vulnerability.

It does all seem very strange. DH got his appointment today for next week. He is 48 no underlying health conditions whilst I am 51 and a carer for DS15 so should be in group 6 and not a peep.

We are in Cheshire East.

My friends daughter and work colleagues who work in office, had theirs yesterday. She’s 23 no health problems .Their bosses arranged all staff to go .

It's nothing to do with the 'postcode lottery' or the competence or otherwise of those providing the vaccines.

Why so keen to slag off the NHS? They've been doing a brilliant job of getting it distributed, organising vaccination centres, arranging for volunteers to man the centres and those to vaccinate patients. Nearly 17 million people have received their first vaccination so far, which is amazing.

The reason some areas are getting to lower priority groups is largely to do with the number of patients they have in their area (organised by practices), as well as the demographics of each area.

If you live somewhere where there are fewer old people, then it's obvious that they are going to get to the lower priority groups sooner.

@Thimbleberries

This is really bizarre. And especially giving it to 16 year olds, who is hasn't been licensed for yet, as I understand it (healthy non-vulnerable ones, anyway). I can see if an individual practice needs to fill slots and have gone through all their vulnerable and over 50s patients, but not a routine thing. Mistakes or misunderstandings or misinterpretations by the practice of what's allowed seem likely rather than a general policy, surely?!

I'm pretty sure that it is licenced for use on 16 year olds. "Child" in this situation means 15 and under.

@HelloThereMeHearties You can't do that with the Pfizer jab. It has to be used up in a short time limit.

You can keep it for 5 days in the fridge once it's defrosted but before it's diluted. If GPs have enough stock they can be arranging appointments for those in their 20s and 30s, it wouldn't be impossible to redistribute that stock. I'm not saying it would be easy. But the effort should be made.

If you live somewhere where there are fewer old people, then it's obvious that they are going to get to the lower priority groups sooner

If you live somewhere where there are fewer old people, then it's obvious that they should be getting the correct supplies of the vaccine to vaccinate in priority order. Areas where there are fewer people in priority groups should be allocated less vaccine.

Still waiting for a group 6 call up where we live 🥴

We are going end up some areas with feet up on table all done and dusted with everyone. While those on other areas are still on the vulnerable at this rate.

Slightly changing the subject, but are you given a firm appointment date for your second jab when you receive your first one? Just curious as I know the UK has lengthened the time between jabs to 12 weeks.

Here in the US, they're sticking to 21 or 28 days but far fewer people have been offered it. My PIL (80) just got their first one and have their second appointment in March.

@BIWI

It's nothing to do with the 'postcode lottery' or the competence or otherwise of those providing the vaccines.

Why so keen to slag off the NHS? They've been doing a brilliant job of getting it distributed, organising vaccination centres, arranging for volunteers to man the centres and those to vaccinate patients. Nearly 17 million people have received their first vaccination so far, which is amazing.

The reason some areas are getting to lower priority groups is largely to do with the number of patients they have in their area (organised by practices), as well as the demographics of each area.

If you live somewhere where there are fewer old people, then it's obvious that they are going to get to the lower priority groups sooner.

This!

@BIWI

It's nothing to do with the 'postcode lottery' or the competence or otherwise of those providing the vaccines.

Why so keen to slag off the NHS? They've been doing a brilliant job of getting it distributed, organising vaccination centres, arranging for volunteers to man the centres and those to vaccinate patients. Nearly 17 million people have received their first vaccination so far, which is amazing.

The reason some areas are getting to lower priority groups is largely to do with the number of patients they have in their area (organised by practices), as well as the demographics of each area.

If you live somewhere where there are fewer old people, then it's obvious that they are going to get to the lower priority groups sooner.

But then that area should be allocated less vaccine? I work for the NHS, I'm not keen to slag it. And yes in some ways it's been an amazing logistical achievement. But if they're not going in order of the priority groups, that's a failure of the system.

"If you live somewhere where there are fewer old people, then it's obvious that they are going to get to the lower priority groups sooner."

That's what I meant re strategy/logistics - more vulnerable people should equal more supply. Clearly hasn't been applied here - local MP tweeting about it. Not just being chippy.

@MeMeMeYou I completely understand your frustration. Ds2 is asthmatic and during his telephone annual review with the asthma nurse, he was told he was not in group 6. I felt really pissed off because I work in a school and worry every day about bringing it home. I was especially angry because I know NHS staff working from home who got it.
Imagine my surprise when the GPs called this morning offering him the jab today. I don't know why he got it but I'm bloody relieved. He's been in a great mood since he got it and confessed how worried he's been about catching coronavirus.
Fingers crossed you'll get it soon too.

@VinylDetective

If you live somewhere where there are fewer old people, then it's obvious that they are going to get to the lower priority groups sooner

If you live somewhere where there are fewer old people, then it's obvious that they should be getting the correct supplies of the vaccine to vaccinate in priority order. Areas where there are fewer people in priority groups should be allocated less vaccine.

So you'd rather people didn't get the vaccine, just so other people in other areas got theirs?

That's stupid thinking.

Quite apart from the logistics of sorting that out.

Not many poor people living in Richmond.
I lived here, and can speak at unfairness of it. Why should the wealthy areas get it, and the poorer not?

It is often poorer areas left lagging behind.

WTF are you saying? That people in Richmond should WAIT until poorer people are vaccinated?

Can you imagine the utter logistical impossibility of shifting 200 left over vaccines from Richmond in Surrey up to Scunthorpe or whereever to make it FAIR? And then doing the same for a few thousand other Health Practices around the country?

God, this is exactly how conspiracy theories start.