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Original poster

How long would you queue for your vaccine (yes you were given an appointment)

142 replies

Crunchymum · 15/05/2021 15:45

Interested to hear.

Dedicated vaccination hub (GP surgery but currently at weekends only* does covid vaccines)

  • appointment system (booked online)

  • no information provided about waiting times on arrival by staff

  • longish queue on arrival (40 mins just to get into the inside waiting area)

How long would you wait in this situation?

OP posts:
Bath789 · 16/05/2021 11:23

If something happens that is obviously going to cause a long queue (eg vaccine stock arrives late so the start of vaccination is delayed by half an hour) the obvious thing that those in charge should do is warn people as they arrive so that people can make a decision there and then whether they will wait it out or come back another time.

clopper · 16/05/2021 11:23

Mine took minutes. So well organised

lobster12 · 16/05/2021 11:26

When would be the best time to book? I didn't realise people were having a queue hours. Also are people able to leave the queue to use the loo etc?

maddiemookins16mum · 16/05/2021 11:30

Until I had it. I felt quite emotional after my first. My 2nd is in 12 days.
All the while thinking of those not as bloody lucky as myself.

notangelinajolie · 16/05/2021 11:37

If my 84 year old FIL (and many other frail elderly people) could manage to queue up for nearly 2 hours on a freezing cold December/January morning then I'm sure I could cope with a long queue on a much warmer Spring morning in May.

Rillington · 16/05/2021 13:25

It sounds very unorganised. I would have waited as long as it took though. I have taken 6 relatives for their vaccines. The longest we had to wait has been 20 minutes.

paralysedbyinertia · 16/05/2021 13:27

As long as it took. I was very fortunate with my first jab, though, as I didn't have to wait at all.

copernicium · 16/05/2021 13:32

Wow at all these queues! I spent longer trying to find the door to get in, than I did having the thing!

Redcrayons · 16/05/2021 13:33

As long as it takes.

I got to mine 20 mins early in case there was a queue but there wasn’t and I was actually done before my appointment time.

Everybody I know has said how quick and efficient the process is (big vacc hub in our town) so I’d think something had gone wrong with a 40 minute wait.

Onedaysomedaynowadays · 16/05/2021 13:37

A friend queued for over 2 hours and eventually had to leave for school pick up without being vaccinated. Not much you can do in that situation really 🤷

WombatChocolate · 16/05/2021 13:42

I think long queues are very unusual.
Short queues are more common.
Many people go straight in.

When you’re dealing with offering g something to 53m people x2, there are bound to be some sessions where things don’t work so well and there are delays. All you need is a couple of jabbed to be off sick, someone to have a funny turn in the clinic which requires stopping g and getting some help, or a practical issue such as the vaccine is Kate turning up or the key holder oversleeps and you’ve got a delay.

But it isn’t the norm. And no-one offering the jabs wants there to be a long queue. Sometimes it’s just one of those things.

woodfort · 16/05/2021 13:58

I wonder if this will get more of an issue now they’re working down the people in their 30s, a lot of whom will have young children...?

I was working under the assumption I would bring my toddler with me. Any long wait would be pretty problematic because of that...

WombatChocolate · 16/05/2021 14:06

I don’t think you can take a toddler in. You just need to arrange some childcare or have another adult come with you so they can wait outside. In most cases it’s all done in less than 30 mins.

Given it’s an important thing and there are weekends and evenings available and you can select your slot, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect people to find a way to make it happen. There will be very few people who across 7 day and evening slots really cannot find a way to go into the jab building and spend 30 mins away from their child.

trevthecat · 16/05/2021 14:12

I did a shift yesterday vaccinating, people came way too early for their appointments so the queue was massive. Some people waited 45 minutes because some came early. As a volunteer, I didn't even have a break for a wee yesterday and I worked 8 hours. People wouldn't have to wait as long if they came at the right time and not half hour early!

ShrinkingViolet9 · 16/05/2021 14:15

Received AZ at a GP hub for 6 GP practices. Husband and I were both in and out in around 12 minutes, for both our initial and second jabs.

Take a bottle of water with you if you are worried about a potentially long wait and not being offered a drink.

WombatChocolate · 16/05/2021 14:15

Good point about people coming early.
Of those in this thread alone, I wonder how many arrived early, or on any Covid threads. In some places where there is more of a trickle of people a few arriving early might not matter but in popular locations, it really could make a diffference and asking people to wait in cars or to return later if early is tricky in certain locations or bad weather.

It isn’t always the centres ‘fault’ in queues build. Of course with drop-ins you just have to take what you find anyway.

PrescriptionOnlyMedicine · 16/05/2021 16:06

In and out in 5 minutes then a 15 minute sit down.

Our centre very strictly operated a turn up no more than 5 minutes before your appointment time.

Lots of queues in the early days as a result of patients turning up 30 minutes or more early for their appointments as older people and me are wont

happytoday73 · 16/05/2021 17:05

It's interesting to see people's different patience with queuing for vaccine..... I've been shouted at because they couldn't walk immediately in at their appointment time (3 people with same time appointment in queue in front of them)..... Swore at because there was 12 people in queue... After I explained that there was 15 vaccinators on today so they would be inside in minutes... "They can't all have the same xxxxibg time as me" ...In my head i replied.... Erm actually they are doing 550 in 4 hour session so yes they are!... He was back of the queue to out within 21 minutes and that includes his 15 minutes afterwards as Pfizer vaccine. I resisted saying 'out so soon?'

Most are fine even if delayed... 'Never mind love we've waited a year... 10 minutes extra is no problem' ....

Abraxan · 16/05/2021 17:29

I was very keen to be vaccinated.
I'd have driven as far as I needed and queued for as long as it took. I'd have gone in the middle of the night if it had meant getting my vaccine.

Abraxan · 16/05/2021 17:33

My ex colleague is in the uae and they have a no appointment system in place.
She queued for over 5 hours for jab 1 and about 2 hours for jab 2 she was just glad to get hers sorted, and ahead of her age group would have been fine if back in England. Second one was drive through so sat in car in queue but first was a walk through one.

Suranjeep · 16/05/2021 17:34

I would leave them to it if there were mass queues at a place where there's booked slots.

If they want a stack them high, turn up and queue type system then open the doors and let that be it, but tell people in advance its a first come first served thing

bubblebubblebubbletrouble · 16/05/2021 17:38

Omg i can't believe some of the waits on this thread. I joined the queue outside at 13:58 for a 14:05 appt and was out by 14:11 - told to wait 10 mins in car before going home.
I would have been back on the booking site seeing if I could change my appt if there was a 40 min queue outside and 1hr inside. Would still have waited if I couldn't change it but would have been really pissed off.

WombatChocolate · 16/05/2021 17:59

I'm astonished too and some people's lack of tolerance for waiting or queuing for something as important as this jab. And also at reports of being 'pissed off' with the 40 minute wait.

We are so bloody lucky that over 2/3 have had their first jab and about 70% of adults are eligible already when places like India have the bodies piling up and no vaccines for their own use. A bit of perspective is required I think in terms of what makes us annoyed and appreciating what we have.

Suranjeep · 16/05/2021 18:04

My parents stood in a back garden of a doctors for around 30 mins in the pouring rain, whilst they and however many dozen other seniors all booked for the same 20 min slot whilst the previous group which was by that time running late queued inside for their injections.

They had more patience than me, I'd have left

kowari · 16/05/2021 18:10

I'm astonished too and some people's lack of tolerance for waiting or queuing for something as important as this jab. And also at reports of being 'pissed off' with the 40 minute wait.
What if they have to be back because of children or work, is it okay to be annoyed then? Not everyone is paid for appointments or able to make up the time so they just lose money that week. If childcare shuts at 17:30 then they may need to just walk out of a queue after already leaving work early.