Can the 40-49 age group now book their vaccine?

[Summergirl76]

Sister’s boyfriend (43) was able today to book his vaccine by entering his details on the national booking site (he is Derby based). Sister late 30s tried too but it said she was not eligible. Her husband tried last week and was also not eligible. Just wondered if anyone else has tried in the 40s age group and been able to book?

I think I feel particularly left behind because so many people I know who have been vaccinated are really relaxed about mixing with people now. This will of course become even more so when restrictions are lifted and it's possible to visit people indoors without breaking the rules.

I will also need to start using London public transport again at least once or twice a week, which is something I haven't done for many months. I understand lower infection rates at least mean I'm less likely to come into contact with someone with covid now compared to Dec/Jan time for example. Although there was a recent news story about only 30% of people isolating if they have covid symptoms so that's not exactly reassuring.

@poppycat10

lots of people seem to think all the risk has somehow been taken from older jabbed people and transferred en-masse to those unjabbed and concentrated amongst the ereducing group of people. It isn’t like that

That's a very good point - I think we do sort of feel like that, and you're right, it's ridiculous

I’ve queried myself whether this is at the root of how unsettled I feel, and I honestly don’t think it is.

I have adult-size later teenage children. Their various sport activities are starting up again, and they can meet up with friends (which I am delighted about). They’re back at school with friends who are likewise busy and whose families will very soon be able to socialise more and more (again, a good thing).

I’m so relieved that family members at greater risk due to age or health conditions have now been vaccinated. But as we start to open up again, I don’t think I’m unreasonable, statistically illiterate or selfish for being worried about the increasing chance to me of contracting Covid, against a backdrop of chirpy “don’t worry, if you haven’t had a jab yet, it’s because you’ll be just fine even if you do get it”. I know perfectly well that that’s probably the case.

But I’d also, frankly, like to know what’s going on, and to not be told I’m being a silly billy for being concerned.

Obviously all people can do is remain cautious and try not to worry excessively (stress impacts the immune system). If there's a supply shortage there's little anyone can do but wait. However, if as seems to be the case, it's a bad distribution issue as opposed to actual shortage, this needs sorting urgently. The priority for first doses needs to be 40s and then 30s. If some places have so much extra stock that they can do 20s and 30s whilst others are still ploughing their way through 50s or having to temporarily pause first doses altogether, the distribution system needs to change and/or areas with excess supply need to send it where it's needed more.

There needs to be more transparency if nothing else. About supply and distribution.

Yes, the unvaccinated are most at risk. However, the risk to them (which is low although of course present.....and perhaps more of things like long Covid than hospitalisation or death from Covid) is not higher now than before. It is lower than it was 3 months ago because the vaccine is present in far fewer of the population.

I dont think we are disagreeing. You’re right that over 40s relative risk compared to those who are jabbed is higher. However, their absolute risk is not higher than before but actually lower. In reality absolute risk is the thing that really matters. However, understandably for those waiting to get the jab, the relative risk compared to others in society starts to feel more important and impact their sense of the risk they face personally, even when their absolute risk is not higher and has actually declined. This will continue to be the case as vaccine is rolled out to the population as a whole and everyone benefits from bigger proportions being protected.

And actually, I think the risk is potentially higher now. Before people were being pretty sensible, I'm effectively mixing with 30 other families via each child. Some of those families, if vaccinated, may decide to stop bothering with social distancing or following the rules. Which means that the risk to me is higher. Their children (who would be the vectors to mine) are completely unvaccinated.

I'm exactly the age at risk of long covid and I know a few women my age who have it - and it's bloody awful for them and for their kids too.

I see what you're saying @WombatChocolate
I think you're right to an extent. Except that most vaccinated people have still only had their first dose. Hopefully that's enough to tide us all over until everyone has been jabbed (particularly those at any increased risk). However, yes, it's definitely lower risk now than when no one had been vaccinated. I just hope people don't completely drop their guard. Enjoy opening up but cautiously. I also think there really does need to be fairer distribution and more transparency.

I agree that transparency is needed. In the early stages everyone understood who was getting jabbed and the priority order seemed to be followed in rough terms. I fully agree that it seems very muddled now and of course that’s unsettling and doesn’t seem fair. Even if there are good reasons for the way they are doing it, if we don’t know what they are, of course we can’t appreciate it and feel it’s unfair.

I do imagine that on 15th...now less than a week off, they will celebrate offering to all 1-9 groups and will be pushed to say something about what is happening next. I really hope they will give some honestly and not just fudge it and what they say will be reflected on the ground.

Over 45s expected the jab before Easter or even before April based on the speed of rollout and 50s being offered it over 3 weeks ago now. And then the rollout has officially stopped due to supply issues and in some areas has actually halted in terms of moving to group 10. That’s upsetting enough but would be understandable and Cole able with if it felt like it was happening everywhere, but the fact some areas pushed on with 40s and some seem to be offering to 20s or 30s makes it feel even worse to those older 40s. I agree that it seems so odd and as time passes people are extremely pissed off. And it’s such a shame becaue the overall success of the programme is great and overall daily jabs at over 500,000 many days is still fantastic, but tarnished by the lack of transparency.

I understand they can’t give detailed info about supply and they can’t give detailed info about every area which has slightly different demographics etc. And I understand that by saying less they commit themselves to less and can’t then be hauled up for over-promising. I guess that’s why we find ourselves where we do with the lack of info. It does feel like it’s been pushed out to local areas to decide for themselves how to distribute it though and it is very very varied and the national plan has been binned, if not officially. It’s odd because the national booking site still clearly says ove 50s and all the NHS England advice to licensed vaccine centres is very much about NOT moving to groups 10+ u til officially told to but using vaccine for 2nd jabs and mop up of earlier groups. But are they just saying this and not expecting it to be followed..because what’s happening on the ground is very odd and doesn’t seem to fit. That’s why people are pissed off. I get it.

I feel the same, @IloveJKRowling - and actually, people trying to pacify me with talk of the vulnerable being vaccinated have the opposite effect.

I worry that this feeds into people starting to think “oh, it doesn’t matter that I’ve got a bit of a cough/temp/headache, even if it is covid, it’s not going to kill anyone anymore if I go out and about”. We’re all sick of lockdown and restrictions, and behaviours are clearly changing.

I know personally of several people, who I thought were sensible, who've gaily gone out and about with sick kids this Easter hols. I know their kids were sick because when I mentioned that DD had a bug so we were isolating they said 'oh yes our kids have been really snotty too' (they're all in the same class) but they've been out and about. We've been isolating and getting covid tests and whilst not covid, the bug we had has laid DH out flat for a few days.

So it's nice to know they've been out and about while we've been doing the socially responsible thing.

They've been vaccinated via their jobs.

As a 45 year old asthmatic with two school age children I know that I am at risk and I’m probably more at risk than many healthy 50 year olds, let alone those in their 20’s and 30’s with no underlying conditions. My GP suspects that I had Covid just over 12 months ago. I was ill for six weeks and couldn’t walk up the stairs as my breathing was so bad. My DH was close to calling for an ambulance for me on several occasions. My DH had mild symptoms as did DS1. DS2 had no symptoms but he was 6 at the time so could easily have been asymptomatic. My 73 year old father also had very mild symptoms. The virus went through my DC’s school and my workplace for the second time in December and I had a tiny sniffle but I am worrying now as no one knows how long any antibodies last. Just feeling like ranting today!

Perhaps as the population increasingly moves towards fewer people not having been invited for the jab (and give it another 3 months there will be just a few remaining waiting) it’s inevitable that those still waiting feel more and more like the ‘overlooked’ if you know what I mean.

Those not jabbed are now less than half of the adult population and in the minority. That alters the feeling of risk as well as altering the behaviour of those jabbed, especially as it coincides with gradual opening up. What will it feel like for the 20s who are anxious by mid July when they are the last few not done and almost everything is open? Will that be awful or will be saying they are so low risk it doesn’t matter? What do we think the 70s say about 40s it being jabbed yet? ...probably the same thing. Isn’t there something in every group feeling at risk and feeling those much younger can wait as needed because their risks are lower. I think that’s human nature to feel like that. For any anxious 20s, they really will feel they are the last few. Will they feel better knowing 90% of adults have had the jab and that is increasing their protection....probably not, in the same way 40s don’t feel more protected by knowing that 60% of adults are now jabbed.

All I’m saying is that I think these are normal reactions to not being jabbed for any age group now. There are more threads from 30s feeling they’ve waited too long. 2 weeks ago those threads were just upper 40s. Most people understandably want to be done and that early sense of whizzing fast through age groups led to raised expectations (never offciallly raised, but raised by watching progress) which have then been disappointed by the slowdown.

In the end, all the unjabbed can do is assess risk and not enter too much into the opened up world if they are worried about the risk. That might feel a bit unfair and as if some are missing out through no fault of their own, but in some areas of life there is a choice. It is harder if you work in areas which have or are opening up and are unvaccinated. I still think age order rather than occupation is the right way to do it (so many jobs out people at risk and some would be missed off any lists, plus the logistical managing of an occupation based system would just slow it all down more than using the age system which can be fast when supply is good) and as do t think the risk to 49 year old teachers or shop workers is higher now than it was 4 weeks ago, but I think it feels higher as they know others have had the jab and feel left behind in terms of relative risk and perceive (usually wrongly) that the absolute risk has risen because of that, when in actual fact it’s fallen.

Its most difficult at the moment with people moaning that they don't want a particular vaccine, while others are desperate to get one. I do feel we've reached the tipping point where people should either get a jab when offered or not, but the offers need to keep moving down the age groups instead of chasing up those who are uncertain or have spurious reasons for having a preference (as opposed to actual medical advice to avoid specific vaccines).

In the end, all the unjabbed can do is assess risk and not enter too much into the opened up world if they are worried about the risk.

Can't do that with kids in school - you get fined and threats of offrolling if you keep them off. Have to send them in to mix with 30 others daily with no mitigation whatsoever against covid.

I think the problem is, particularly in areas with a large amount of hesitancy, the risk to all. Lots of unvaccinated people increases the risk of new strains developing, not to mention the risk they pose to the most vulnerable. Vaccines might be less effective in the very elderly and immunocompromised. There's also those who can't have it including (for now) vulnerable children.

Yes IloveJK, I agree....that’s why I followed up my comment about mitigating risk where possible, by avoiding situations we don’t like as the world opens up, by saying that it’s not possible for those such as teachers or other public facing jobs. I think lots of upper 40s teachers who might have some risk factors such as raised BMI (but not high enough to be in Group6) or lower level asthma were really hoping they would be vaccinated by the time they returned to school after Easter. The disappointment is a big factor, along with the seeming random nature of who is getting the limited 1st jab supply that there actually is.

Will the risk to such teachers be worse when they return to school in a weeks time, than it was perhaps 6 weeks ago when they returned to school from lockdown? On one hand, the country will have opened up more and some of those kids will have been in shops or met with friends over the hols. On the other hand, a further 12 million jabs will have been given in that 6 week period, plus the figures for infection rates and numbers with Covid have significantly dropped in that time.

Wales celebrated having offered jabs to all of group 1 to o recently ... then quickly refuted on social media by many who said they were still waiting. And even then it was only that they had offered them.

Many of the 1st doses being given after they advertised that fact are still the 1-9 groups that had their invite but are now only just having their appointments.

No new invites being sent out last week or this week.

They will never be able to say all of any group have had their jab. There are always those who turn it down or are terribly slow to book and need chasing again a and again. After July, there will be people in every group still being chased up.

When they said they’d met the Grouos 1-4 target in Feb, there were and still are people who haven’t been jabbed within them. All you can say and do is OFFER.

Given the national booking site has allowed all over 50s to book since mid March and all have been eligible, the target has been met already in England. Some will have refused it and some might have booked and not had their appointment yet (although those will be low as they weren’t oozing on the national site after 29 March) and some might only now be trying to book and finding difficulty due to low supply, which they wouldn’t have had if booking 3 weeks ago, but all have had that opportunity.

I don’t think they will say target met until 15 April. Once they say that, people will want to know about official roll out to under 50s and because of low supply, they will need to control the rollout very carefully and no point starting it sooner than they actually can.

Probably people in England will also post to say they haven’t had their jab after 15 April. It will turn out many simply didn’t book when eligible as hoped for more local appointment, or have only tried since supply dwindled despite being eligible 3 weeks ago. There are still people posting on MN saying their 65 year old relative hasn’t been jabbed and it’s a disgrace.....but usually they have been offered it multiple times.

There are also difficulties with knowing who "everyone" is within an age group. Some will have changed details and not supplied the change of phone number to the GP, or immigrated and never registered, or emigrated and not deregistered, or have somehow registered twice, or have somehow left a GP and not re-registered, or be homeless and vaccinated under that scheme... Easy to find the majority of people, almost impossible to know if/ where the rest are, or if they've all been offered.

MRex, yes that’s all true.
If supply had been bigger, we would have been offering to group 10 alongside mopping up those in 1-9 who hadn’t taken it. In all previous cohorts, mop up alongside new rollout happened together. Lack of supply has stopped this. Let’s hope it’s not for too long.

Late 40s, no sign of a jab. I would mind less if it was more transparent but 1 in 3 under 50s in my local authority area have had their first jab, they can't all be CEV or group 6 or work in the NHS/social care? It feels such a lottery. With so many either jabbed or in the "young, healthy, not worried" camp, I worry about the riskier behaviour others will indulge in as we open up, making us 40 something not-as-slim-or-healthy-as-we-used-to-be people into the collateral damage. I am typing listening to my neighbours having yet another garden party, outdoors but huddled in a closed gazebo with a dozen people, singing loudly. I am grinding my teeth as they are keeping my child up as well with the noise, again.

Yes iloveJK and i do think the risk is going to rise. As idiots using lft instead of pcr. Then all those vaxxed will only get mild symptoms.
Im not keen on all the kids catching it.

If have seen too many more social media posts by people who hasn't read the fecking instructions, virtuously declaring they're so grateful for the lateral flow tests as [little Eliza-May/their husband] had a bit of a cough and headache but it was all good as they could do a lateral flow test and [send her in/go to work], rather than all having to self isolate for days waiting for a PCR test result.

*I
*haven't
Illiterate autocorrect on phone

Using LFT for headaches is a pragmatic approach. In fact, Jonathan Vat Tam mentioned at one of the conferences that he would use LFT for non traditional symptoms.

According to Tim Spector, even when Covid prevalence was much higher, only 1% of people with headaches had Covid (even though the vast majority of people with Covid had headaches). Asking 100 people with headaches to isolate to detect one positive case is a road to nowhere. People may isolate once or twice but sooner or later they will lose patience and refuse to take PCR when they have more serious symptoms (e.g. loss of taste or smell) where the "match" is closer to 60% or higher.

I think encouraging people with "non core" symptoms (e.g. headaches, fatigue, etc) to take PCR without isolation may be a much better solution but, of course, press will immediately scream "it is confusing the message".