The vulnerable have not been vaccinated

[Icytundra]

I keep reading on here and in various other sources that the vulnerable have been vaccinated.

This is just not true. Very few have received 2 doses.

Some, like me, are yet to have the opportunity to book their first, yet are expected to teach face to face lessons in 2 weeks time.

The vulnerable have not been vaccinated.

@Toilenstripes

Right, so it’s the healthy who have received the 20 million vaccinations. 🙄

You have missed the point.

My point is, largely, that many many vulnerable people, myself included, haven't even had one dose.

Those of you who know elderly waiting for their first dose - do you know what the limiting factor is? Are they not able to find any appointments on the national site/no centres nearby/have mobility or transport issues that need a closer site or home visit/able to get appointments but those are still weeks away? It's really worrying if they don't even have appointments yet, given how much over capacity there is in some of the hubs/shopping centres/pharmacies etc in some places.

(I know that some care homes etc where people need home visits have not been done yet, which is a scandal but a slightly different problem than elderly but mobile people not being vaccinated yet)

@buttheywereonlysatilites

Re: CEV children. I assume they'll continue to shield and not be expected back at school in two weeks? There's not going to be a vaccination programme for children for a good while.

The vaccine programme for children will probably start at the end of the year at the earliest.

Yes I could keep my medically vulnerable child off school until then...I'm not sure that would be the best thing for him however, especially as he is supposed to be starting secondary in September, after having shielded for most of the year.
Stopping working, trying to organise home learning for him, ensuring we work closely with the school and Drs, organise all the transition meetings and ensuring he is getting therapies has been one of the hardest things I've done.
It also isn't such an 'easy' option for the many many children who don't have as supportive a Dr as we have or who are clinically vulnerable rather than clinically extremely vulnerable.
Then there are ds's sisters....at secondary, who will pile back in 2 weeks...and be worried about bringing it home to their brother.

I wish there had been a plan for children like ds, one that was a bit better than 'stay home.

Just because you haven’t doesn’t mean it’s not the majority and yes only one vaccine . Still the majority have had the first vaccine but I realise many still haven’t .

@Toilenstripes

Right, so it’s the healthy who have received the 20 million vaccinations. 🙄

No, it is SOME of the more vulnerable. Many more of the kore vulnerable are yet to be vaccinated.

@starfro

Data from Scotland shows just one dose is highly effective at stopping severe illness.

One dose is performing far better than could have been hoped for with two doses.

But this thread is mainly about the fact that many of the vulnerable groups have not yet had ONE vaccine dose. Therefore many many vulnerable people are NOT vaccinated at all.

@ittakes2

We are still waiting for our first dose. On the news last night was talk about how 1 in 3 adults have been vaccinated - but in some areas they have gone past group 10 and are vaccinating healthy adults while other areas are still progressing through groups 5 and 6. I have no idea why in the areas who have done up to group 10 their vaccines have not been passed to areas stuck on groups 5 and 6. There are vulnerable teachers and parents and workers in these groups.

My area is stuck on the 65-69’s (we are rural and apparently a lot of group 5 are refusing to travel to large centres and want the local gp to jab them). CV group 6 not yet started.

@Thimbleberries

Those of you who know elderly waiting for their first dose - do you know what the limiting factor is? Are they not able to find any appointments on the national site/no centres nearby/have mobility or transport issues that need a closer site or home visit/able to get appointments but those are still weeks away? It's really worrying if they don't even have appointments yet, given how much over capacity there is in some of the hubs/shopping centres/pharmacies etc in some places.

(I know that some care homes etc where people need home visits have not been done yet, which is a scandal but a slightly different problem than elderly but mobile people not being vaccinated yet)

I’ve probably answered this above. Our local group 5’s are not keen on travelling 20 miles to the big vaccination hub and are insisting the local gp does their jabs. It’s holding up starting on the group 6’s.

@ComDummings

Yeah many areas haven’t even started on group 6 yet. I know some have but many have not.

Yep that’s us!

As of 20 February just over 18m people had received their vaccination.
That is just over half of the priority groups 1-9 and none of the remaining population.

The majority of people vaccinated are not of working age.
Most working age vulnerable people have not yet been vaccinated.

@RedcurrantPuff

I agree, “vaccinated” is having had the 2 doses.

There may be an argument that 2 doses is fully vaccinated, you certainly are vaccinated after one dose. The efficacy in latest data is 84% for Pfizer. Much better than the flu jab in an average year.

It would have made sense to prioritise teachers and parents within group 6 (ie people who will be getting the vaccine within the next few weeks anyway). If they’d all been done last week, they would have a decent level of protection for schools reopening and that would have mitigated a load of the risk.

The news from Scotland today is wonderful and hopefully puts paid to the idea that one dose doesn't equal vaccination.

The gov.uk coronavirus website says 17.5m first doses done, and there are 32m vulnerable adults, so that’s 55% of vulnerable adults part-vaccinated. 2% have had both doses.

14.5 million to go! And the kids.

there are 32m vulnerable adults

Are you really claiming that over 60% of adults are vulnerable? That is an extraordinary definition of vulnerability.

Scotland, contrary to what Ms Sturgeon says, still hasn't offered all of the over 70s a first dose.

I am in group 6 and I called gp surgery to ask what group I am in. They said I am not flagged at all so after second call I got appointment for vaccination.

@pinkhappy

there are 32m vulnerable adults

Are you really claiming that over 60% of adults are vulnerable? That is an extraordinary definition of vulnerability.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/951928/uk-covid-19-vaccines-delivery-plan-final.pdf

It’s the government’s definition, not mine

@ShowOfHands

My Dad is vulnerable and hasn't had any doses yet. My Mum is fit and healthy and has had her first. He keeps asking and being told to wait. The vulnerable definitely aren't vaccinated.

Sorry to hear your Dad hasn't had his. What group is he in? If it's 1-5, have you tried the online booking for him? Do you parents have the same GP surgery?

@pinkhappy

The news from Scotland today is wonderful and hopefully puts paid to the idea that one dose doesn't equal vaccination.

Completely. The best news! I expect this is very disappointing to some MN'ers I see on these threads.

DH is ECV and still waiting. Our doctors is acting as the town hub (we are in a town, no access to a big vaccination centre). We are locally short on vaccines. Ridiculous really.

The GP step seems to be a massive hold up for group 6 which is the bulk of the most at risk of catching it in my eyes, as they are likely to be working age and working full time plus parents of school aged kids alongside a medical condition that puts them at risk. It's roulette my GP surgery is awful for any sort of communication and service, basically by not answering the phone and not providing an e-mail address. The young but CV people are probably the most able to travel to vaccine hubs etc but it seems can't use that service and instead have to wait for the antiquated GP service to get down a list while trying to vaccinate people and deal with the usual GP visitors they already can't cope with on a normal day.

@lampygirl

The GP step seems to be a massive hold up for group 6 which is the bulk of the most at risk of catching it in my eyes, as they are likely to be working age and working full time plus parents of school aged kids alongside a medical condition that puts them at risk. It's roulette my GP surgery is awful for any sort of communication and service, basically by not answering the phone and not providing an e-mail address. The young but CV people are probably the most able to travel to vaccine hubs etc but it seems can't use that service and instead have to wait for the antiquated GP service to get down a list while trying to vaccinate people and deal with the usual GP visitors they already can't cope with on a normal day.

I am cv and would love to travel to a big hub! I spoke to a gp last week (different issue) and they said I’ve still got a long wait until a vaccine. What happens when an area is completely finished? Do they help out with other areas that are lagging behind and still struggling through group 5, or not?

@Sidewalksue

DH is ECV and still waiting. Our doctors is acting as the town hub (we are in a town, no access to a big vaccination centre). We are locally short on vaccines. Ridiculous really.

If you go on the national site, how far away are the ones that you are offered? Is there any way of getting help with transport? I'm sure vaccines would count for 'medical appointments' in terms of reasons for leaving home and driving/travelling however far (I appreciate that ECV won't want to be on public transport much, though!). How far to your nearest city/big town? Here some of the Superdrug shops are doing them