Vaccine Envy

[Iknowtheanswer]

Mostly lighthearted, delighted for everyone who has had their jab, and no reason to be scared of covid any more than most... but

Almost everyone I know has had or has booked at least their first jab.

Obviously my mum and MIL. So relieved for them.

Doctor, dentist, nurse friends now having their second jabs.

Sibling is a social worker, right band to get theirs, although currently working entirely at home at the moment.

All my local friends are a few months older than me, so over 50.

My London friends are under 50, but have had theirs.

My cousins, other siblings and other friends are in their 40s and have had theirs.

I'm 49. Asthmatic but controlled. Key worker out at work every day throughout every lockdown, including visiting vulnerable but not NHS or Carer so don't count (I can and do social distance).

Keep telling myself I'm lucky to be too young, too fit, no caring responsibilities, in a job where I can social distance (in fact, in a job at all right now!) but everyone around me talks about their jabs, reactions, and now about their second jabs! Pure jealousy!

I luckily had mine yesterday. I went with my DH who's over 50, I'm late 30s. They offered it to me while I was there. There were loads of appointments available when we booked just a few days ago so I think they have plenty. I do wish they'd open it up to others.

And yes, I have been feeling pretty awful for about 24 hours now. If it wasn't a weekend I'd have called in sick today.

I think it's become very unfair atm, they need to open the booking properly to over 45s. At the moment some GPs are going against govt and issuing invites, because vaccine centres are very quiet. I've had mine and am thankful but I do think it would have been better if they'd carried on going down one year at a time.

Our local pharmacy was doing walk ins last week and lots of people in their 30's and 40's went and got theirs, they said they were unpaid carers and got their jabs no questions asked.

I don't know know I feel about it, on one hand they're queue jumping but on the other the more people who get the jab the better.

Yes, me. I’m 48 and all my friends in their 50s are done, plus several friends in their 30s due to BMI. The news that it would be delayed for 40s really hit me hard.

My sons just had his mid thirtys saw several of his friends at the vacination centre so they are moving on in some areas

Have you called your gp directly? My DB is late thirties and got his due to asthma and his work, I’m early 40s & got mine due to my job. I think we are incredibly lucky with our docs though and I’m very grateful. You could always ask to go on the wait list incase there’s any spares on clinic days if your gp
Is running them.

My surgery isn't running them, they are grouped with another local surgery instead. I saw my nurse a couple of weeks ago and she sympthathised but they are being quite strict around here.

I don't actually want to jump the queue, as I think the order is correct. I just want the queue to get to me!

Hopefully it won’t be long. We’ve made it this far...the end is in sight.

@Iknowtheanswer

My surgery isn't running them, they are grouped with another local surgery instead. I saw my nurse a couple of weeks ago and she sympthathised but they are being quite strict around here.

I don't actually want to jump the queue, as I think the order is correct. I just want the queue to get to me!

Me too .

Hard seeing it get to folks who are your age and also younger, though. Still, I’m so impressed with the vaccine programme and everyone involved in it.

I had my jab last month because I'm a carer. I'm glad I was given it but I'd rather be one of the people still waiting who aren't high risk.

I've been the person rushed to the front of the queue and I've been the person who is stuck in a waiting room for hours while other, sicker people go in front of me. I much prefer to be one of the people waiting (although when I am nil by mouth and waiting for 15 hours I do get a little bit cranky!)

It definitely feels really hard at the moment seeing so many people my age or younger getting it seemingly at random and reading on here how some areas are so far ahead or having walk-in sessions.

Ben Fogle is younger than me too!

including visiting vulnerable but not NHS or Carer
Do you provide personal care to the people you are visiting? Because then you would be covered.

I am anxious about it. The area I am in seems to be going so slowly. Can't get excited about the relaxation of lockdown until I've had it!

I think some of my family will be on their second jabs before I get my first (46).

It's totally down to GP surgery lists now I think. I have younger local friends who were jabbed a couple of weeks ago.

No personal care, and I can social distance. I am on the original key worker list, but I'm not a carer.

@Iknowtheanswer

My surgery isn't running them, they are grouped with another local surgery instead. I saw my nurse a couple of weeks ago and she sympthathised but they are being quite strict around here.

I don't actually want to jump the queue, as I think the order is correct. I just want the queue to get to me!

Same here. And the surgery posts very regularly on social media telling people NOT to call to find out when they will be called. Guess I'll just need to be patient. Virtually everyone I know at work, all my family and most of my friendship has had their's and I've got the FOMOs!

@middleager

Ben Fogle is younger than me too!

To be fair, Ben Fogle has suffered from pneumonia and a flesh eating bug disease, he may well have had his on health grounds like many other people. I do sympathise with vaccine envy (I have it myself! I even took my daily walk near the vaccine centre yesterday, just in case they were handing out freebies) but we don't always know why other people have been called. Let's hope it's our turn soon.

Definitely an odd situation that lots of friends of mine a decade younger have had their vaccination with the same doctors, yet not a word to me. They also apparently communicated with DP ;no message received) luckily he has got the jab now as a chased it.

I’m in London and 46 and haven’t had it but Dh 48 and many others I know have

Hearing about delays doesn’t help

Ben Fogle and his wife had their vaccines as they are carers to their daughter who has epilepsy.

@Circumlocutious

FOMO is probably one of the factors influencing positive vaccine take up at the moment!

Yes! I’m sorry the OP hasn’t had theirs yet. But it is actually really positive that everyone is desperate to have it.

@Iknowtheanswer - I hear ya! I’m 49 and it seems that everybody I know has been vaccinated! I am genuinely pleased for them, but would still like to be vaccinated myself.
It’ll happen soon - that’s what I keep telling myself!

I hear your pain

Of course I have no problem with second doses being prioritised. And if they had switched for example to vaccinating by profession then again would be happy to wait my turn

But all I see now is examples of people jumping the queue by lying about being carers, or some gp surgeries carrying on with their under 50 lists when it’s really clear they should be giving these slots to gp surgeries with a higher number of older patients

Then the slow down in supply will happen

I know I am lucky to not be at high risk. But theoretically as a very nearly 50 year old I am more at risk than these people. And that’s simply not right

This is why I feel bad. Having mine this week, only 38 but my area has been going great guns and maybe we have a younger population or something. I'm very happy and relieved but too scared to tell anyone in real life as if it was the other way around I would be a bit pissed if I was older but still waiting