55 years and over in Group 8 actually means 56 and over.

[bellinisurge]

An FB friend has spotted that the nhs website calls Group 8 "56 years and over" and the government calls Group 8 "55 years and over".
It's fiiiiiine

DH and I are having ours tomorrow. We believe that after 3 weeks it will give us 65-70% protection mainly against severe disease and this will increase after our 2nd dose in May. Therefore we hope to be fairly safe until about Xmas, by which time there may be a booster available. Our 85 year old mothers had the Oxford jab and one just had a sore arm. As I worked through shingles, I reckon I'll manage to work through feeling a bit fluey.

If you're worried about losing fee income @Xenia I agree, book it for a Friday afternoon.

@salsamad amazing, thankyou!
Just managed to book for both DH and I.
Both of us are 55 and couldn't book just before midnight.

They do seem to be racing through the age groups. Waiting for the day 21 year old DT’s can have their vaccinations. Hopefully the first one this summer.

I'm 55 and have just booked mine

@salsamad

Hi - I’m aged 55 and was able to book my vaccination just after midnight - earlier in the day I was still not eligible so looks like they are now doing 55 year olds.

Thanks - I’m 55 and have just booked mine

:)

Meanwhile, in Scotland, 63 year school teachers still unvaccinated. Makes perfect sense 😡

It is one reason I am against devolution. We should never have had those separate controls. Let us be one nation again.

This is interesting, I am 56 on 24th March (so 55 for another 2 weeks) but cant check this for myself as I am NHS so had it already.

I am interested though as feeling very anxious about turning a year older 56 seems a lot olfer than 55, (I mean older than a year :) )

And I was 54 when this all started too (lockdown and wfh Since the week before my 55th bithday and not been out since - so a year gone)

Come on NHS, sort this out!

@Piccalillies

I don’t understand why the NHS would miss out one year of group 8

It's so frustrating!

Yes I'm 55, and some of my friends are 56 and celebrating. We're all teachers and going back to work today so getting vaccinated (or not) is a hot topic of converation.

*@TSR1

Good luck today on your first day back in the class room, I hope all goes well for you and your colleagues.

www.england.nhs.uk/2021/03/56-59/

Invites for age 50-55 are due out shortly.

[quote Jenasaurus]*@TSR1

Good luck today on your first day back in the class room, I hope all goes well for you and your colleagues.[/quote]
Thank you so much!

@TSR1 the bookings for 55 opened at midnight. Look at the PPs on this page

@PuzzledObserver

There is no "whether" it confers immunity, @NoSquirrels. It doesn't! At all! For any length of time!!

What is your definition of ‘confers immunity?’ My understanding of it is ‘if exposed to the pathogen will not become infected.’

I would suggest that it does indeed confer immunity to some people, on the basis that people who have been vaccinated are around 2/3 less likely than the non-vaccinated to have a positive PCR test. What we don’t know is how many of those who didn’t become infected just didn’t encounter the pathogen as against being immune.

However, they are starting challenge trials, aren’t they? Those should show pretty clearly what proportion of people do not become infected despite being deliberately exposed to the virus.

As for the duration of immunity..... time needs to pass, obviously. They are still monitoring the original trial participants in order to be able to answer that question.

Thank goodness for a proper post regarding the term ' immunity'

[quote Aintnoshepherdess]@TSR1 the bookings for 55 opened at midnight. Look at the PPs on this page[/quote]
It still says 56 and over on the NHS booking website actually.

I believe some younger people are booking in anyway because the system doesn't know if you fit other criteria such as working in health or social care etc but teaching doesn't fit that criteria unfortunately.

Tempting to book in anyway of course and argue my case when I get there if challenged!

Of course Xenia there is not currently and answer to 1 And 2 but the critical point to me is it will
A improve my chance of not getting it.
B therefore protect my income
C if I do get it reduce my chances of serious illness

@TSR1 the Web page info hasn't caught up with the actual reality of the booking system.
This has happened on other occasions too.
You can now book, as of midnight, on the system. It's been opened up to 55s. If you weren't allowed to do it you wouldn't be able to.
Before midnight, not booking, after midnight, booking!
Good luck

Website doesn't say that. So do I follow the nhs website or something else?

@bellinisurge

Website doesn't say that. So do I follow the nhs website or something else?

insert your data and try whether it allows you, many posters have said that over 55s can now book despite the ui says something else.

Very helpful puzzled.

No loss of fee income is not really relevant to me. I don't however usually queue anywhere ever but I know many places have no queues and I suspect I might be in contact with people who don't stay far enough away when I go so having the vaccination might in that sense kill me off if I get covid there which is another concern.

For me the biggest question is how long will it protect me? As I am female and under 60 and never get ill really (seen doctor for 7 minutes in last 15 years) I am not sure how likely I am to catch covid in the next 6 months anyway. I suspect protection does not last much longer than that and if I got it I probably would not get it very badly so the fact it might stop me in that period having to go into hospital - not likely to be a major issue as not likely to get it that bad.

I might just wait until a year's time as don't want to be made sick for 2 days which will be 2 days more illness than I tend ever to have. Anyway the paperwork is on the side in my office so I will keep it in mind over the next few weeks and see if I change my views.

I just did it. I used my NHS number and my actual dob so the system knows it's me. End of March #1; early June #2.
Obviously I'm pleased but how many people know about this when the website clearly says not to.

@bellinisurge

I just did it. I used my NHS number and my actual dob so the system knows it's me. End of March #1; early June #2. Obviously I'm pleased but how many people know about this when the website clearly says not to.

for 56-59 it was a matter of hours since it was possible til the UI was updated (it can be that they're updated at different times) and also 1 day before the media announced it. so 1-2 days at most?

The Prime Minister is 56. Which is of course totally coincidental.

Glad to read of those who are 55 who now have a vaccination appointment.