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?

Epsom racecourse has now transfered to Sandown Park. Epsom is opening for racing again so couldn’t continue, but Sandiwn Park is similar venue and seems to be the biggest in south East as far as I can see.

My friends in the 50 - 54 year old priority group 9 got wind of the online booking being opened up before the official announcement was made (other friends knew and had told them). They said they seemed to enter records by area and by age (so if your area was open, they started to add records by age from oldest first) onto the system to book.

The person who told them had been able to book mid afternoon (they lived in a different authority). They tried themselves at 6pm they couldn't do it, but when they tried again at 10pm they could. It was done on a Monday (the 15th - I'm just checked my phone messages for the day).

From what was said on MN, not all areas were rolled out at the same time - some were added later than others.

It had been rumoured in the press on the Sunday night and then it was seemingly confirmed in the press on the Monday night front page releases and then officially confirmed on the Tuesday.

Hopefully that gives a possible template for when/how this will happen.

I suspect that they will open bookings but they may not be many available in April in many areas. But even giving people a date in May I think will help to steady a lot of 40 something nerves.

Group 10 (40 - 49 year olds - its the full ten years not 5 as previously) is theorectically 5.3million in size (although lots of people will be already vaccinated because of their job or for health reasons - it looks like its closer to 4.9million left to do from the Omnicalculator data). Group 8 (55 - 59 year olds) was 2 million and Group 9 (50 - 54 years olds) was 2.4 million.

They were still managing to do 100,000 first doses a day at the end of last week, even with second doses prioritised. It might be a slower roll out for the 40 - 49 age group at least initially. I think the over 50s have taken about 6 weeks to complete (with some areas doing it quicker and cracking on with the over 40s as they seem to have the doses).

So possible all over 40s by end of May seems a viable possibility if we have more deliveries in May by my fag packet calculations.

My local large vaccination centre is now Sandown but I'd rather wait and go somewhere closer to home if possible. I feel ill at the thought of having the vaccine without the added stress of the journey! I also need to fit it in around DH's work (which has just picked up again) as he will have to take me. I'm considering asking if he can go in with me as a sort of carer!

@IloveJKRowling

At this point I think believing anything from a media source (i.e. not direct from NHS) is a fast track to disappointment and frustration. We've been here before.

It was accurate for the over 50s. Times and Telegraph reported it on the Sunday Night. The Times seems to be the original source again this time and the report looks pretty solid.

I'm optimistic its accurate.

The DM does have form for shall we say 'misinterpreting' things though. We'll see. 'Government sources' is a bit vague.

PinkSparkly, you will be able to wait. GPs will scoop up those who dont book on the national site, several weeks later depending on supply. Those who are very keen will book ASAP and travel. If you really aren’t worried about it perhaps being a month later that you get called, you can wait. The system is designed to cover everyone, but when supply is limited and only some locations available,of course those who will travel will get done first.

Group 10 (40 - 49 year olds - its the full ten years not 5 as previously) is theorectically 5.3million in size...

Actually:

• Age group 45-49 is roughly 4.4mm
• Age group 40-44 is roughly 4mm

www.statista.com/statistics/281174/uk-population-by-age/

The data is 2 years old but it is directionally correct. This gives us about 8.5mm of 40-49s to start with although I agree a meaningful number of the group (25%+) have already received their first dose.

It was in the Times so I am very hopeful.

@IloveJKRowling

The DM does have form for shall we say 'misinterpreting' things though. We'll see. 'Government sources' is a bit vague.

Probably because its the DM doing their normal trick of just rewriting a story published in another paper! They don't know the source themselves.

We know that the story has originated from the Times who do have a good track record and well placed sources.

I would imagine we will start hearing of people being able to book this evening or trusted journalists on twitter will be reporting it around 10pm if its legit.

I think it will be right.
They need to announce shortly that the target for mid April has been met and to show that they are moving forward.

I strongly doubt it will open to all 49s in one go when supply is so limited for 1st doses. Unless they know the supply for May with absolute certainty and are just going to offer appointments well beyond 2 weeks in advance, they won’t have the supply for April to offer to all 40s. If they try to without supply there will just be lots of complaints from those eligible not being able to get slots. They don’t want that or need to put themselves in that position.

Yes, 25% of 40s already done is going to be about right. I can see that on my local ‘info graphic’ which our CCG puts out and we aren’t even an area that has been jabbing under 50s yet. Those 25% have been done via CEV, CV, front facing NHS or caring roles or other criteria such as unpaid Carer, learning difficulties etc.

Some areas probably have done most of the upper 40s already, there will be demographic variations. Will be interesting to see exactly how it is rolled out next.

Sorry...meant to type all 40s, not all 49s!

Maybe they'll open up for 1971 birthdays first to mop up newly turned 50 somethings and the older 49 year olds and then 1972. That's how I'd do it rather than making it a free for all for all over 40s or over 45s.

I don't really want mine in April now anyway (I know, ungrateful!) as I have things planned and would be concerned about side effects making me feel too grotty to do them so if they open up booking and you can choose a slot in a couple of week's time that would be great.

@wintertravel1980

Group 10 (40 - 49 year olds - its the full ten years not 5 as previously) is theorectically 5.3million in size...

Actually:

• Age group 45-49 is roughly 4.4mm
• Age group 40-44 is roughly 4mm

www.statista.com/statistics/281174/uk-population-by-age/

The data is 2 years old but it is directionally correct. This gives us about 8.5mm of 40-49s to start with although I agree a meaningful number of the group (25%+) have already received their first dose.

Omnicalulator data on age groups seems about right to me. (Priority groups 1 - 9 added up make 27.1 million and we are now up to 32,121,353 first doses done).

I think the remainer must be carers, occupational and health reasons (priority group 6 take a big chunk with 7.4million) - a large percentage of them will be in the 40 - 49 age band.

@cologne4711

Maybe they'll open up for 1971 birthdays first to mop up newly turned 50 somethings and the older 49 year olds and then 1972. That's how I'd do it rather than making it a free for all for all over 40s or over 45s.

I don't really want mine in April now anyway (I know, ungrateful!) as I have things planned and would be concerned about side effects making me feel too grotty to do them so if they open up booking and you can choose a slot in a couple of week's time that would be great.

I'm pretty sure you will. When they opened bookings for group 9 on the 15th, the earliest some of my friends could get was the first week in April (annoyingly for them they later added earlier dates to the system).

I strongly doubt it will open to all 49s in one go when supply is so limited for 1st doses.

The thing is... it is only AZ supply that is problematic. Pfizer deliveries (based on Scotland's leaked estimated schedule and actual reports published each Tuesday) have been running like a clock. I know I am repeating myself but:

• We had enough Pfizer for the second doses by the end of March;
• We got 975k Pfizer last week and we are getting another delivery of 975k this week;
• It is actually possible to "stretch" Pfizer supply by getting 6 doses out of a 5 dose vial (although this requires special syringes). This can boost vaccine supply by 20%;
• And of course, we have got 50-100k Moderna (every little helps).

I am hopeful:).

I’d mis-typed 49, for 40s.

So are you saying you think there’s enough to rollout appointments for all 40s in one go and not just to a couple of year groups to start with?

I get the point about rolling out appointments well in advance by 3-4 weeks. That is possible, but doing that replies on being very sure the supply in 3-4 weeks will definitely be there. Good if they have that certainty.

I agree people will feel better once booked, even if 3-4 weeks off.

That said, even these threads show how many people are not desperate to get done ASAP. Loads of people still choose to wait for local or a date that fits with other stuff going on. These threads suggest everyone is desperate to get done as soon as possible.....but the threads don’t represent everyone and lots of people are pretty laid back.

I’d like them to start with the oldest like they did the other age groups, though That’s probably because I’m 50 in summer.

I’ve got two largeish centres close to me, so hopefully it’s one of them.

Most of my school friends have been done, I was the youngest in the year. I’m still friends with the oldest in the year and she messaged me joking last night to say ‘still glad you’re so young?’ I always rib her on her birthday that she was sooo old and I was sooo young.

I think it would make people happier to be able to book ahead of time. Not getting it now is ok for someone who knows they're booked in on 28th April.

I am hopeful

I think that’s all we can be right now! I’m not in the 45+ bracket, so whilst I would love to be vaccinated this week so I don’t have to worry about side effects and having to teach at the same time, I’m resigned at having to wait for a few more weeks.

I do wish headlines wouldn’t say things like ‘Over 40s’ and then further in the article, it specifies late 40s. Always gets my hopes up and then dashes them

I strongly doubt it will open to all 49s in one go when supply is so limited for 1st doses.

They could book in doses though based on confirmed deliveries.

Don't they have to prepare the doses for a couple of weeks after we get the actual delivery in the UK before they are ready to be administered? (I forget the detail on this). That could well mean they have got the doses delivered and now in the system or that the 5 million that got held up from India has now been released (we may not be told this officially if its politically sensitive to India to admit this). Or that they've privately resolved concerns over Pfizer exports from the EU (they stopped first doses of Pfizer because of concerns that they might not get more if the EU decided to block it) and we now have more of that available.

We don't know and we are unlikely to know these details. What's interesting is that they were still able to maintain 100,000 first doses per day at the end of last week. I think thats perhaps more than was expected. Even if thats the trickle for the next couple of weeks, if they've 'run out' of older people to give vaccine to do - which I know is more or less the case in some places from the figures - they need to start releasing that trickle to the next group. And they will want to make an announcement about that as soon as possible.

Not to mention, the cynic in me says that there are local elections in a couple of weeks. Those who at least have appointments booked (even if they haven't had their jab) in the age 40 - 49 group may be happier to vote Tory than they might otherwise have been.

The Times seems to think it will be the 49-year olds initially, until supplies pick up.

Which seems fair enough to me - I'd rather some people are done rather than waiting until there's enough to roll out to the whole of the next age group.

I do fall into that group who are not in any great rush, though - 48 next month but would rather wait to make sure I can get a Friday appointment as I really don't fancy side effects on a weekday with work/DC to contend with.

Even if it is just the over 49s I think many in the 40s group will just be happy to see some progress tbh.

I do fall into that group who are not in any great rush, though - 48 next month but would rather wait to make sure I can get a Friday appointment as I really don't fancy side effects on a weekday with work/DC to contend with.

I'm going for a weekday appointment so I can have a day off work if I get side effects!

I'm so close to 49, just 3 weeks to wait so I really hope they do 49s and very nearly 49s at the same time! We have a mass vax site about 5 minutes away by car so it would be amazing if they got an allocation of Moderna too. That really would be a good birthday present!

Hmmmm. If that information is correct about the size of groups 10-12 and given that quite a few people in those groups have already been vaccinated, there should be enough Moderna/Pfizer/Janssen to do everyone else without having to use AZ?