I don’t think it’s unfair to say that people not wanting to travel or complaining about the cost of getting to their jab is moaning.
Those who were CEV or in group 6 as vulnerable were called for local jabs, as were the elderly. Local jabs are available for all at some point if they can’t or won’t travel.
But the reality is that when supply is limited, it just doesn’t make sense to have every local GP service and smaller site running. It just doesn’t. It’s an important thing to have your jab and people need to prioritise it and most need to expect some kind of journey and possibly expense to get it. As has been mentioned, many people have friends or family who will take them, plus LOTS of charities are still offering to take people. The reality quite simply, especially with the limited supply that’s already clear today, is that people can either have a sooner jab and travel, or just have to wait a bit for the local one. No-one is denied a jab by not being willing or able to travel. And actually, very few people isn’t he groups now being jabbed are actually unable to travel.
A vaccinator was on another thread. She mentioned jabbing over 80s at the start of the process when there were far fewer centres delivering jabs. She talked about how some came a considerable distance, even in bad weather if December and hardly anyone turned it down or said they would wait for later and local. It was important to them and so they made it happen. She said lots came in taxis or drove themselves or their children brought them, but lots also use the volunteer services. And she mentioned that they didn’t moan about the cost or the journey but were glad to get the jab.
Yes, things for those without a car are often a bit more tricky. Yes, going a distance costs more in petrol or the cost of a taxi or public transport than having the jab really locally. Does that mean it’s wrong to offer larger vaccine centres and all jabs should be locally based to make it cheaper for people to get there? The big centres run so the jab can be delivered efficiently and fast. Most people are very happy to put themselves out and make the journey and incur whatever cost is required. And again, it’s not as if there is no alternative....there can be local jabs for all if required. But the government can see it doesn’t make sense to try to offer local to all, but mostly to those who haven’t been able to travel or book, rather than to offer that system to all which would be slower and more inefficient in terms of the overall aim of speedy jabbing.
I hope the difficulties in getting 2 jabs booked together sort themselves out, a sthats frustrating for people trying for hours, I hope it’s not a sign of the fact supply is really too limited to let a rollout of 45+ properly proceed and that the issues are just those of lots of enthusiasm in the first day of booking and that the system and slots available will catch-up quickly and make it smoother for everyone.
With each rollout, the most enthusiastic to book have often travelled considerable distances. No-one has to book when the sites and dates don’t book them. Everyone has to weigh that balance between speed and convenience.