Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

30-35 waiting, 35-40 endlessly trying - jab updates

898 replies

Imfedupwithallofthis · 10/05/2021 13:45

As the title says, taking over from

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4229167-35-39-waiting-40-42-endlessly-trying-and-42-jab-updates

OP posts:
ShrinkingViolet9 · 20/05/2021 11:30

My 35 yr old son has just been able to book an appointment for the beginning of June at the BIC, Bournemouth. But currently there are no appointments for booking the second dose. There were no first dose appointments available for his age group until after May 31.

Selecting for "toilet access required", brought up no appointments at the BIC and the list of other venues he might choose from were not at at all local to us - eg Salisbury and Southampton.

We deselected for toilet access and appointments at the BIC were then listed.

However, there are toilets at the BIC venue, though my understanding from the BIC vaccine centre information page is that these are situated near the queuing area - not within the registration area and vaccination hall, themselves.

There was a website queue of over 400 but this cleared quickly, though we were timed out and had to return to the beginning of the queue while discussing suitable dates.

GP practice still silent on whether their hub is going to be doing the 34 to 39 age group for Pfizer.

ferretface · 20/05/2021 11:35

@BigGreen my husband is booked for guys 1 on Monday, I noticed that there were way more appointments available at guys 2 so i have gone for that one given they can only be giving Pfizer/Moderna to under 40s anyway. Wonder if guys 1 is more popular because it was one of the places that was reliably doing an AZ alternative?

BigGreen · 20/05/2021 11:54

@ferretface I saw someone getting taken to Guy's 2 for a different vaccine from the queue of Guy's 1. I think it was Pfizer but I was only half listening!

Wetdogloveshubert · 20/05/2021 12:20

Well I'm delighted! I've just managed to book first and second doses, at two venues. First for Monday and next dose in August. Well done, NHS!

skyvv90 · 20/05/2021 13:10

Does anyone know how to check which vaccines are offered at which sites? I just booked in at a Superdrug site, but their website (possibly out of date) says they use AZ?

ShrinkingViolet9 · 20/05/2021 13:28

BBC News today:

(Bournemouth BIC vaccination centre)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-57183056

Student jabs halted amid high demand

A scheme to offer university students walk-in Covid vaccinations has been suspended on its second day after too many people turned up.

Bournemouth University said it was told "all students" could queue for jabs at Bournemouth International Centre for seven days, beginning on Tuesday.

Yesterday hundreds of students turned up - with some queuing for up to eight hours, while others were turned away.

But by the afternoon a message on the university's Facebook page said: "Due to the high numbers, unfortunately no further student slots are available for the time being."

Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust said its offer was intended for "students in priority groups, many of whom are soon to travel home".

When asked about the discrepancy, a university spokeswoman said: "While we encouraged priority groups to attend, we were advised that all students over the age of 18 were able to take advantage of this opportunity."

Thismummyruns · 20/05/2021 13:31

How far are people travelling for theirs? The closest available to us is 30 miles away! AIBU to wait until closer becomes available- I can't take time off work to do this.

89redballoons · 20/05/2021 13:37

I live in Bristol and the nearest appointment available to me this morning for my first jab was in Taunton Confused which is 50 miles away!

As luck would have it I happen to be driving past Taunton soon, on my way back from holiday. So I am going to get my first jab then and my second one at a pharmacy which is closer, although still about a 30 min drive away. Seems silly when I know for a fact there are many closer places making appointments, but they are obviously in high demand.

Friends have had more luck logging on to the NHS site at 7am or late at night. I just wanted to get my appointments sorted as soon as possible, to be honest. I'm now hoping that the venues in Taunton and Bristol will have the same jabs available so I either get both AZ or (preferably) both Pfizer or Moderna - surely they will?

ShrinkingViolet9 · 20/05/2021 13:57

@Thismummyruns

How far are people travelling for theirs? The closest available to us is 30 miles away! AIBU to wait until closer becomes available- I can't take time off work to do this.
5 miles for first and second AZ for husband and I (68 and 74).

12 miles for 35 year old son for first dose Pfizer (no second dose Pfizer bookable yet at this venue).

Arrangements for the 34 to 40 age groups for administering Pfizer seem a bit of a mess, especially local to us, with the main Dorset vaccination centre closing temporarily for four weeks in June and July.

sociallydistained · 20/05/2021 15:23

@Thismummyruns

How far are people travelling for theirs? The closest available to us is 30 miles away! AIBU to wait until closer becomes available- I can't take time off work to do this.
If you wait for you GP invite, assuming you haven’t had it already? It will be local. My boss was going to travel 30 miles but then got the GP text so cancelled and then went 3 miles away.

My local hub is also 3 miles away.

wendz86 · 20/05/2021 17:03

I kept refreshing today and only getting half hour away but just looked and got local hospital 10 min drive so glad I waited .

Goatsdorhone · 20/05/2021 18:15

@ferretface It was Moderna at Guys 1 on Saturday when DH had his. I'm having my first jab there in the morning so can report back if they're still doing Moderna or if it's Pfizer.

user8783 · 20/05/2021 21:52

Any 33 year olds constantly checking? I really hope they open up to 32+ this week. I know some areas have expanded but evidently not mine so waiting for the NHS site to change!!

MapleBee · 20/05/2021 21:56

Hardly any 34/35 year olds can get an appointment unless they travel miles so it’d be silly to open up to further age groups yet

Tinks177 · 20/05/2021 22:03

@user8783

Any 33 year olds constantly checking? I really hope they open up to 32+ this week. I know some areas have expanded but evidently not mine so waiting for the NHS site to change!!
32 and I keep checking just in case!
user8783 · 20/05/2021 22:05

@MapleBee not everyone is insisting on being vaxxed within a 3 mile radius, I'd happily drive up to 50 miles.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 21/05/2021 01:47

After lagging so far behind the age groups being vaccinated in england each week, my area of n Wales has just put out a link for online booking (not an option previously) for a vaccination at ths local hub... any daily can book. There's one link for over 40s and another for under 40s.

MapleBee · 21/05/2021 06:10

@ user8783

Well done for having a car. Not everyone does.

user8783 · 21/05/2021 07:30

@MapleBee um what? I'm just saying I'm happy to drive, I don't care what everyone else does?!

BessMarvin · 21/05/2021 08:12

Your phrasing very much gave the impression that you thought some people were deliberately being awkward

user8783 · 21/05/2021 08:24

So no other 33 year olds wanting the vaccine as per my ACTUAL question, just a couple of thread patrollers. Awesome, I'll jog on.

lurker101 · 21/05/2021 08:43

@user8783 I’m desperately waiting for a slot to open up for a 33 yr old relative

nika1988 · 21/05/2021 08:55

Me too. I know it hasn't been long since they opened for 34+, but it still seems ages

ekahad · 21/05/2021 09:05

33 here, also constantly checking. Lots of younger people around me being called by their GPs so feeling a bit fed up. I'd drive almost anywhere to get one to be honest, but I'm working in a high risk environment so I guess that changes people's perceptions.

WombatChocolate · 21/05/2021 09:05

34+ was yesterday. It should be sometime next week that all over 30s are offered. That’s still a speedy rollout, given 36+ were only offered on Tuesday this week.

Telegraph says everyone might be offered by end of June as stocks are now high and they are really pushing ahead. The Gov won’t want to alter the end of July deadline though just in case of supply issues. Avoiding over-promising is a big thing to avoid and so much better to then be able to over deliver.

At the start of each new age group rollout, loads of people go on the booking site and ‘rationing’ of too many people vs supply happens initially via who will travel the distances to get the jab. If you want it very soon travelling is the answer...you’ll often get an appointment tomorrow if you will travel. However, y checking back in over several days, you’ll usually get something closer. People sometimes feel they have been trying for weeks but it’s usually actually only a few days. Really local can take much longer now as lots of GP led services aren’t jabbing under 50s, so waiting for really local should only be done by those who genuinely cannot travel to other places, rather than prefer not to, as those slots will be very limited and the more who hold out for them, the longer it takes to get through everyone.

Remember they jab 7 days a week and until 8pm and there are services which will arrange lifts (free) for those who cannot drive or use public transport....for the vast majority, if they want to be jabbed quickly, they can be. And the strong recommendation now is to take up the offer as soon as possible...that means a bit if planning and inconvenience for most people to get to a centre some distance away...but it seems worth it really, given the importance of having the jab. And I think we need to remember how lucky we are that the rollout has been so extensivehere compared to other places, rather than just moan it takes several goes to book or requires a 20 mile journey.

Hope everyone waiting gets a slot soon.

Swipe left for the next trending thread