Illegally obtaining jabs

[Kijaji]

What do people think about lying pretending to be a carer to get a COVID jab? A friend of mine who is in their early 20's has done exactly this and is pushing me to do the same, I am so shocked that this is happening and actually disgusted at said friend for blatantly lying just to get the jab as they have holidays booked abroad later on in the year!

I have no issue with it. I’ve got two friends who are extremely anxious about covid (like, very healthy but will wear a face mask on my doorstep and standing 2m away anxious). I wish they’d pretend to be carers and get the jab so they can start trying to adapt back to normal life.

I’ve got another friend who pretended she was a carer to get the jab, because of an upcoming holiday. She booked a last minute appointment at the end of the day and there were loads available, so v.unlikely she ‘stole’ the appointment from somebody else.

I also have a couple of friends who have a relative at the hospital, who offered them leftover jabs that would have gone to waste.

I’m comfortable with all of the above. The way I see it, it shows uptake in my age group (30s) will be high. The higher, the better - gives the government less reason to bring in those stupid vaccine certificates. I don’t want to be part of a ‘papers please’ society.

I personally don’t think it matters too much. Everyone needs to get vaccinated in the next couple of months. I know someone who you could argue “jumped the queue” and is now cross she did as she wants a different vaccine now
Be careful what you wish for springs to mind

From a government/ society POV it’s also a positive sign. Shows people particularly younger people want the jab I guess.

I know many who have done it and as an asthmatic who needs steroids at least once a year who gone to work daily for the last year amongst the public but still isn't entitled to the vaccine it really annoys me.

I also have friends younger than me who are working from home who have been called by their doctors to be vaccinated even though they don't have any health issues.

@KinderWild thanks. What sprang to mind as I made the decision was that support bubbles were only introduced after a single parent wrote to Dominic Cummings and his wife to explain what lockdown was like for single parents and others living alone. The particular predicaments facing single parents just don’t cross the government’s radar, theresfore those of us with no family backup, and where the other parent is absent, are not classed as carers, when objectively we probably should be. I appreciate your support- I thought people would shout at me here for what I did.

@BluebellsGreenbells

How can an unpaid career of one other person jump ahead of teachers who care for 200 students a week?

That goes for any other person who’s risk increases x the number of contacts for a fact to face job.

Not just shopping for Granny

Unpaid carers get the vaccine not to protect THEM but because if they become sick and unable to care, then the health and social care system is put under more pressure by having to provide the care that is normally provided silently, without fuss and free.

@lollipopsandrainbows

I know 5 people who have done this, one being my cousin. She claims she does her grandads shopping, who for starters is still working so is more than capable of doing it himself. And secondly, if he couldn't do things, then her mother would be his carer, not her. I go and do my Grandma's beer and wine run 3 times a week (yes, she does drink that much as she has nothing else to do), so does that mean I'm her carer too and can qualify for the vaccine?! Hardly.

I actually do shop for my shielding grandparents and have done for over a year now. I wouldn't have even considered that that would qualify me as an "unpaid carer". I go in their house for less than 5 minutes!

@BluebellsGreenbells

How can an unpaid career of one other person jump ahead of teachers who care for 200 students a week?

That goes for any other person who’s risk increases x the number of contacts for a fact to face job.

Not just shopping for Granny

I am an unpaid carer for my DH who is extremely vulnerable and I also work in a school. I have to work and don't have the choice to work from home to protect him. I received the vaccine as an unpaid carer. Don't just assume that caring just means shopping for granny. You have no idea of the responsibilities of many carers. If we become ill there is no one to care for those we look after. I don't agree that school staff should be prioritised before unpaid carers.

Even if vaccinated people who are immunosuppressed like my DH are likely to have a poorer response to the covid vaccine than others. This is why the BMJ have recently recommended that people aged 16 or over who live with immunosuppressed adults should be prioritised for covid-19 vaccination alongside priority group 6.
It's absolutely wrong those pretending to be a carer are vaccinated before those in their forties. Shame on them.

I agree however that school staff have been treated appalling re the vaccine never mind the whole nonsense of school bubbles being somehow safe and children not spreading this virus. We all know how quickly covid spread through schools from September onwards.

I really don't understand why those who work in an environment where social distancing is impossible aren't prioritised for the vaccine. Protecting school staff would protect the community. I like many school staff work with children who are immunosuppressed in a mainstream setting and cannot distance from them.

@Parkermumma07

How do people feel about Covid vaccine Hubs giving away unused vaccines at the end of the day. I had a call at work a few weeks ago saying there were a lot of spares that we could have if we could get to the hub in the next hour. I’m mid 30’s and went along but now I feel guilty about it.

Why would you feel guilty? If they were able to offer them to more vulnerable people they probably would have but otherwise they would have gone in the bin. I would have felt more guilty about not taking one!

DHs cousins have done this. I really can't see them in the same way ever again.

"Why was this ever an option on a public booking site?"

Originally it was only those who get carers allowance. The problem with it through GP surgeries is that some have acted as unreasonable gatekeepers and have been denying vaccines based on made up rules. eg cannot have it if you are an unpaid carer for a child.

"How can an unpaid career of one other person jump ahead of teachers who care for 200 students a week?"

To protect the person they care for either because that person is clinically vulnerable or because they will be at risk without the carer caring for them and the care cannot easily to provided by someone else.

Can't really think that anyone begrudges someone having the jab legitimately as a carer or any going spare at the end of a session
But supplies are low now so yes, anyone falsely claiming to be a carer is taking the jab off someone more vulnerable (Not the most vulnerable but still.more vulnerable) and that is pathetic
And yes, given their low morals they are probably more likely to transmit covid as well

I hate it and know people who have done it and boasted about it or tried to find excuses to justify it.

I'm in my 30's with cough variant asthma that's difficult to control, but because I've not had steroids I have to wait like everyone else.

Myself and DH are the last in both our families to get vaccinated (families are a mix of social care or over 50).

I hate these people and the one person I'm thinking of has been so public about it.

@Plumedenom

The order is less important than the shared immunity and anyone who thinks they are at a higher risk the average, as is certainly the case with the OP, should push for it. The aim of the game is to save people from getting sick and putting pressure on the NHS. Most people will wait, a few people are dicks and will queue jump, but if you have an above average risk due to personal circumstances, I wouldn't judge anyone.

The order is important. If not you'd have those who think they need theirs early ,( in their head only) taking the place of those actually vulnerable.

To protect the person they care for either because that person is clinically vulnerable or because they will be at risk without the carer caring for them and the care cannot easily to provided by someone else

And the CV children in school?

Ds is my unpaid carer, he is 17, he had his first jab a month before I did.

Someone I know was saying that a lot of her friends had done so that their planned holidays abroad could go ahead (in case of vaccine passports I assume) ...hen weekends away apparently.

"And the CV children in school?"

Their parents would be unpaid carers.

I can't get bothered about this

This could have been solved by releasing some vaccine for private purchase. I would have quite happily paid to be vaccinated early and the income generated by the private jabs could then have been used towards the cost of the overall vaccination programme.

I couldn’t care less

All the high risk groups have been done, and the second jabs are all ring fenced.

The risk of someone aged 45 vs 25 is pretty much identical so it doesn’t put anyone ‘at risk’ by someone younger getting it now.

They should have just got all the vulnerable groups done and then opened it up to everyone.

I just can’t get worked up about people using a bit of initiative to get their vaccine passport and life back

I have an extremely anxious family member who has lost a whole year worrying sick that he will die thanks to the irresponsible reporting and scaremongering on the news.

He got the jab and said he was a carer. Didn't bother me and glad he has.

I think when we've had a government for a while now who have pushed the every man for themselves idea I can't get mad at people doing just that.

When the Prime Minister is a pathological liar it makes it incredibly difficult to criticise people for lying to receive their vaccination a little early