Vaccine administration differences within areas

[KinderWild]

In the area I live, some GPs are doing vaccines in general and others only for the extremely vulnerable/ elderly. My GP is only doing them for the elderly and extremely vulnerable and have sent numerous text message saying not to ask them about the vaccine and to wait our turn (I have never asked about the vaccine and was planning to wait my turn!). The vaccination centre spares which are doing the age group bands, go to mates of the people that work there.

So we will not get a dose until my area is on my age band. Which I have been fine with. I don't disagree with spare doses going to whoever can turn up. I don't disagree with vaccines in the priority list of groups that have been established.

But given the gov is now talking about vaccine passports and there is talk of vaccine shortages, I am getting anxious that our freedoms will be further curtailed while we wait for the vaccine and that we don't have the option of putting ourselves forward for a spare dose.

I feel I should chalk this down to just one of those things and I have been doing. But I have got slightly wound up after meting a couple of friends last week - in their 20s and 30s who got the jab through spares over a month ago and are excited about things opening up and vaccine passports, holidays etc. To be clear I don't begrudge them getting theirs at all, and I don't want to see wasted vaccines, but I think its tough when some don't have the option of putting themselves forward for a spare dose.

I am totally against vaccine passports for many reasons, but this is one of them, OP. The Sunday Times was talking about them coming into force on 17th May. I'm 49 and might just have had a first dose by then. What about younger people who've not had theirs? My son is 18, he's going to be waiting months, though at least by the time he gets his it might be the J&J single dose one, so he'll be sorted.

I also get fed up with all the texts with lots of SHOUTING and CAPITAL LETTERS telling us NOT to contact the surgery but it's ok for them bombard their entire mobile phone number database with texts about second doses.

On the plus side, the government appears to be backing down on requiring vaccine passports for shops, pubs and restaurants so it is unlikely to affect me anyway as I don't go to sports events or music festivals (the caveat being if races/athletics meets require the runners/spectators to have vaccines or negative tests).