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?

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 have not seen the Times article (which seems to mention 49s only) My personal guess would have been that they might want to go in 2-3 year stages. Restricting bookings to 49s only would not make sense since Pfizer vaccines have to be used at scale.

One weekly supply of Pfizer (975k) is slightly higher than the number of people per one year age category (800-900k). They should have 2 weeks of supply (2mm) so I had been them, I would have opened bookings to 48-49s (or 47-49s if many of late 40s are already vaccinated).

That is, if it’s true that there are another 20 million Pfizer doses still to be delivered...

I'm 47 and got a text from my doctor's to book a vaccination, I haven't because I'm taking part in the novavax trial but they are moving down the age groups.

@RedToothBrush

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

Speaking as a 42yo agree with this is so frustrating that things stalled though understand why!

@Catslovepies
@WombatChocolate

There will be a mass vax site in Merseyside/Cheshire doing it but not sure which one

Re Epsom nothing for Surrey specifically though there is likely to be one in “south london”.

It might not actually be decided where all the Moderna sites are tbh but media says Eithad has Moderna “from” Wednesday.

I'm actually late 30s but have been following with interest through the age groups. It would feel great to see the booking open up to even the 48s and 49s this week. The news of it not moving past groups 1-9 until May made me lose all hope so this would certainly help.

A large number of my friends in their late 30s and early 40s have already been vaccinated (without being in the eligible groups due to profession or pre-existing health issues), so hoping things will move quicker with so manyy of those keen to book in quickly already done.

That is, if it’s true that there are another 20 million Pfizer doses still to be delivered...

I am actually wondering if UK managed to order extra Pfizer...

Hancock has mentioned very recently that UK has got 40mm of Pfizer jabs "in production". This cannot be true unless we had upsized our order. We received 21.3mm of Pfizer prior to the end of March. Roughly 15-16mm has been used (11mm for the first doses and 4-5mm for the second doses).

Of course, Hancock might have made a mistake - he might have been thinking about our original total order. However it does seem that the UK managed to negotiate favourable terms with Pfizer. Pfizer supplies to the UK stayed on track all along even when the EU deliveries back in January were delayed. It is possible we had an option to upsize the order and we might have used it.

My Dh received a text 10 days ago . asking to book via link he did and got in same day he was 49 , in my area they are starting with the higher end of 40 s and working backwards .( midlands)

just marking my place as an early 40s, anxiously waiting for upper 40s start to receive their texts soon.

Also reading on other pages, it seems even pfizer first doses are still being given.

Also interesting to know which vaccination centres / hospitals are offering either pfizer or moderna in South London.

As another upper 40s with nearly everyone I know in my age group already having received their 1st dose via GP call up I would be delighted to see bookings open even just for 49s. @Frazzled2207 don’t suppose you know whether any mass vax sites in Birmingham will be getting any Moderna?

Same as @nordica, I'm late 30s but keen to be vaccinated and following with interest. I would say at least half my late 30s/early 40s friends have been vaccinated now, either through their jobs, underlying conditions (a surprising number have mild asthma!), getting leftovers or just being called unexpectedly.

I think roll-out will be a lot quicker than older age groups, especially if some are refusing (though let's hope not many).

@spacechimp

As another upper 40s with nearly everyone I know in my age group already having received their 1st dose via GP call up I would be delighted to see bookings open even just for 49s. *@Frazzled2207* don’t suppose you know whether any mass vax sites in Birmingham will be getting any Moderna?

Don’t think so but could be in Wolverhampton

@wintertravel1980

That is, if it’s true that there are another 20 million Pfizer doses still to be delivered...

I am actually wondering if UK managed to order extra Pfizer...

Hancock has mentioned very recently that UK has got 40mm of Pfizer jabs "in production". This cannot be true unless we had upsized our order. We received 21.3mm of Pfizer prior to the end of March. Roughly 15-16mm has been used (11mm for the first doses and 4-5mm for the second doses).

Of course, Hancock might have made a mistake - he might have been thinking about our original total order. However it does seem that the UK managed to negotiate favourable terms with Pfizer. Pfizer supplies to the UK stayed on track all along even when the EU deliveries back in January were delayed. It is possible we had an option to upsize the order and we might have used it.

Interesting point last i read uk total order pfizer was 40million. Europe UDVL say Europe had sent 21 millions vaccines 20 was pfizer 1 million az from Europe sites as we make AZ in uk and got 5million from India. So during 1st quarter we received 20million half of our order. We don't know what UK pfizer contract looks like if there was any penalty clauses. 40million 2 doses is just 20million people. It was first vaccine approved so assume it was healthcare workers or very elderly that received it.

We did upscale our initial moderna order from 7million to 17 millions and all they delivered so far is 500k.
They delivered to EU first despite us signing contract earlier.
Pfizer and moderna are the most expensive in terms of cost.

The UK government are quite secretive and vague about how much beendelivered and how much backstock.
Also now vague about delivery schedules and vaccination schedule revised times.

following as my dh is 43

@Lalalablahblahblah

Frazzled - any idea where in alindon is likely to have it (especially SE London? Thank you.

I hope I'm wrong but I suspect (particularly if as PP have suggested the rollout is selected areas only at first) there won't be one in south London.

London is still lagging behind the rest of the UK in the vaccination rollout as a whole. Perhaps it hasn't caught up after initially receiving a lower share (remember Sadiq Khan's raising concerns about that).

Two south London boroughs (Lewisham and Greenwich) have the lowest proportion of over 50s done. I'm guessing many parts of London (except central) will be left to wait longer. Despite the higher risk of catching of in London. However, as I said, hopefully I'm wrong.

I couldn't help feeling frustrated (on behalf of my age group, as I'm CV so have had mine) reading media reports on this. They're still saying GPs, vaccine centres, etc were instructed not to offer to under 50s (until possibly tonight/tomorrow). Why has the media ignored the reports of areas with loads of surplus supply merrily jabbing healthy 20s and 30s, whilst there's a shortage elsewhere necessitating restricting the 40s rollout? The extreme postcode variation in distribution and rollout, I think, should've been challenged.

Sorry correction. Lewisham and Greenwich aren't the very lowest in the UK. They're in the bottom 10. So nearly the lowest.

[quote Frazzled2207]@Catslovepies
@WombatChocolate

There will be a mass vax site in Merseyside/Cheshire doing it but not sure which one

Re Epsom nothing for Surrey specifically though there is likely to be one in “south london”.

It might not actually be decided where all the Moderna sites are tbh but media says Eithad has Moderna “from” Wednesday.[/quote]
Surely its likely to be St Helens Rugby League Stadium if thats the case? It was one of the earlier sites to be set up.

Another frustrated 49yo (with 3 kids at 3 different schools) here! Restriction in supply is what it is, and I've absolutely no issue with waiting my turn... but not happy about all the individual 'unpaid carer' liars, or the ludicrously unequal distribution that is allowing some GPs to offer surplus to healthy 20s and 30s. My area of the SW has done over 94% of over-50s but local hub is closed until end April and GP still won't offer to 40–49! Just very much hoping latest media reports are true, and trying not to check online booking site more than once every hour

@Tealightsandd

I couldn't help feeling frustrated (on behalf of my age group, as I'm CV so have had mine) reading media reports on this. They're still saying GPs, vaccine centres, etc were instructed not to offer to under 50s (until possibly tonight/tomorrow). Why has the media ignored the reports of areas with loads of surplus supply merrily jabbing healthy 20s and 30s, whilst there's a shortage elsewhere necessitating restricting the 40s rollout? The extreme postcode variation in distribution and rollout, I think, should've been challenged.

The media have been reporting on this, but its actually not an issue which is of concern for sufficient numbers to hit headlines.

Over 60% of the adult population has been vaccinated and anxiety over this was always higher in the first priority groups for obvious reasons. Its probably reflective of a smaller population being bothered because they are less at risk.

Its not right, but it doesn't sell newspapers. Younger people seem to be more preoccupied with other political issues.

I know that places were instructed not to do certain things but they were also given conflicting information about left over vaccines which left something of a grey area. Basically they were told never to waste vaccine, but not what to do with left over doses. Its unspoken about and almost hush hush. The Guardian wrote about this being an almost Omerta situation. On the one hand its been 'do not give appointments to under 50s' and on the other its been 'vaccinate as much people as possible and for god sake don't waste a single dose'. Its conflicting in practice and why its led to some areas just cracking on...

TBH it does at least contribute to population level immunity so in that sense vaccinating even younger people early is worth while rather than sitting on supplies because they've been 'allocated badly'. It almost might help to counter issues in areas where vaccine take up in priority groups have been lower than ideal on a geographical basis.

I see what you're saying RedToothBrush and I suppose you're mostly right.

Still, the question remains about distribution. Why did/do some places have so much surplus they could do large numbers of healthy 20s and 30s whilst other areas haven't enough for upper 40s?

You're right though. I guess the majority, outside the 40-50 age group don't care that much. As another poster said somewhere on MN, it's the invisible generation. Outside of covid and vaccine access that has its pluses

Fingers crossed things are starting to progress with the rollout. Hopefully by tomorrow upper 40s can start booking.

@Tealightsandd

I see what you're saying RedToothBrush and I suppose you're mostly right.

Still, the question remains about distribution. Why did/do some places have so much surplus they could do large numbers of healthy 20s and 30s whilst other areas haven't enough for upper 40s?

You're right though. I guess the majority, outside the 40-50 age group don't care that much. As another poster said somewhere on MN, it's the invisible generation. Outside of covid and vaccine access that has its pluses

Fingers crossed things are starting to progress with the rollout. Hopefully by tomorrow upper 40s can start booking.

@Tealightsandd

I can't speak for every area but for our pocket in SW London it's about vaccine hesitancy and rates of uptake. We need to offer it to each individual three times before we can mark it as declined. Once we have invited to all of a group then we can move down the groups. We had a lot of people decline the vaccine so we were able to offer to the next group. The neighbouring practices are in a less deprived area with a good vaccine uptake so it takes them longer to move down the groups.

@Tealightsandd

I see what you're saying RedToothBrush and I suppose you're mostly right.

Still, the question remains about distribution. Why did/do some places have so much surplus they could do large numbers of healthy 20s and 30s whilst other areas haven't enough for upper 40s?

You're right though. I guess the majority, outside the 40-50 age group don't care that much. As another poster said somewhere on MN, it's the invisible generation. Outside of covid and vaccine access that has its pluses

Fingers crossed things are starting to progress with the rollout. Hopefully by tomorrow upper 40s can start booking.

We don't know why more was allocated to some places than others.

From the sound of it the NW was allocated more than other places - but its consistently had higher rates of covid and has much higher rates of deprivation over all.

London, has been under allocated - but seems to have higher natural immunity / better medical infrustrature to cope with spikes (in part because hospitals are simply closer together and there's more ICU beds / staff per head of population to begin with). And it has a much younger population overall anyway (and better infrustrature generally) and has seen much higher levels of a drop in footfall than provisional towns across the country.

Its not a hard and fast rule but I think there are arguments to be made for rolling out vaccines in some parts of the country than others.

Whether this is what is happening I don't know. Its certainly not been made transparent. I do suspect politics creeping in (especially with Wales and Scotland). I believe NI officially started roll out to the under 50s last week so seem to be ahead of everywhere else.

This from The Guardian today:

Vaccines 'due to be rolled out to the over-40s this week', NHS chief says
The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed that doses of the Moderna vaccine will be rolled out in England from “mid April” after first doses were already delivered in Wales and Scotland, while an NHS chief said jabs would be offered to the over-40s as early as this week, PA reports.

A DHSC spokesperson said:

Our vaccination programme continues at pace with over 32 million people having now received a first dose. Our target is to offer a jab to over-50s by April 15 and all adults by the end of July, and we are on course to meet that. We will be setting out more details later this week.

Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said:

It is an incredible achievement that more than 32 million people have received their first vaccine, with over 7 million receiving their second jab.

While there is still a way to go with our vaccination programme, we welcome the progress being made, with the jabs due to be rolled out to the over-40s this week and all priority groups now offered a first dose.

Well that sounds like a firm confirmation to me!