I think our system here is amazing and we don’t know how lucky we are.
We can have a speedy appointment if we will travel some distance. Yes, it is easier for those who drive and sometimes might involve an unfamiliar journey or a couple of buses etc. It might involve some expense and some planning and some inconvenience, but in the wider scheme of things, isn’t this worth putting yourself out for and making it happen? I’m amazed at this ‘18 miles is a long way’ - people in other countries would travel hundreds of Mike’s for what we have, but people moan.
Do they moan because they know there’s a closer centre? Is that what the issue is....that they feel aggrieved because they know some people don’t have to travel far and feel it’s not fair.
The point is that the local services cannot provide all the jabs. Mass centres are the way to jab vast numbers. They cannot all be located close to everyone so travel is required for many. There’s just no getting away from it. For some it’s 10 miles and for some it’s been 70. It’s never going to be the same for everyone. And it is a big barrier for some who are housebound but there are actually few below 65 without medical conditions who genuinely cannot get to those centres. With some planning and willpower they could get there. Voluntary services will take people. Friends will take people. The NHS can help arrange transport. So why aren’t people getting on with it and making it happen? It strikes me that even faced with a serious disease, some people would rather not engage with the things they could engage with to make a life saving vaccine a possibility for themselves sooner rather than later. And note I have acknowledged some people just cannot travel, but lots say they can’t but could with a bit of organisation and determination.
GP services will now be used mostly for the very elderly getting their 2nd jab. It seems right doesn’t it that they should have access to local services and the 50s being done now should be asked to travel a distance for theirs. The GP services cannot do everyone.
You can wait. GP services will eventually get to everyone who is noted as not having got on and booked. Yes, you can avoid the 20 mile journey. But it could be 2 or 3 or 4 weeks until you get the jab. I just don’t really get why some people would put themselves at risk for a further 3-4 weeks to avoid a journey which can be worked out. And if you have family doing this, why you wouldn’t help them arrange transport or offer to take them to their slot so that it is over and done with,
Lots of people are on these threads saying ‘I’m 61 and haven’t been offered the jab’ but it’s not true. They have been offered in the sense that they have been eligible to book on the national booking site for almost a month. They have had a letter encouraging them to do so and sometimes more than one. They have been invited, but they haven’t been invited to the most convenient place.
And at the same time, lots of younger people are just desperate to be jabbed. They go to work every day and face the public. But they cannot book on any system yet and until those eligible get on and book, the rollout to the next age group won’t happen. They would travel many many miles for their jab but can’t do so yet. Delaying getting on and booking or refusing to consider travel delays people themselves but also rollout to the next groups too. People forget that I think.
Sorry for rant. It’s just I’m in a thread of 40s who are so frustrated at the lack of a any sign of jabs being rolled out nationally to their group still. Many are desperate to be done and would travel any distance.