Rebooking 2nd Pfizer- can now check availability first

[NoliteTeBastardesCarborundorum]

I am mid 30s and just managed to rebook my second Pfizer jab on the national booking website for 8 weeks after my first instead of 11.

I know lots of people are anxious about having to cancel before being able to check the availability of new slots: they appear to have added a new feature so you can check the availability before confirming the cancellation- see pic.

Hope this helps.

I just tried this after spotting your thread but this new feature didn't come up although I had Moderna not Pfizer so maybe that's why. Bumping though as I am sure this will be useful info for others!

Thanks so much. DH and I have just tried this but can't see an option to check availability before cancelling Will try again on laptop in case that makes a difference...

Thanks I just moved mine forwards by almost a month 😁

OP when was your first jab?

I tried too but couldn't see that on mine, but I'm another person that had Moderna - too scared to do the cancel and rebook thing, so guess I'll keep waiting and checking.
I hope it's useful to many others though

I just checked my DHs but he has to cancel first to rebook. He had Pfizer.

Do you have to click on the cancel option before it will let you check availability?

I just tried too but it said I had to cancel first (had Pfizer)

@Wellysock

Do you have to click on the cancel option before it will let you check availability?

Yes - you click through all the stuff, then it summarises your appointments again, then you hit cancel, then you get the availability (like in the OP's photo) and only then do you really hit cancel.

It does feel like you're hitting the 'big red button', but there are quite a few clicks to get to that stage.

I could see availability too. I needed to move mine due to a clash of commitments but was anxious to cancel. Thankfully, I’ve been able to move it to 8 weeks 🙌🏼 I’m really pleased. I am having to travel a bit though but I don’t mind doing so. I get time off work for vaccinations so I don’t actually mind travelling, be a couple hours off work 😂

Works for moderna too.

"Yes - you click through all the stuff, then it summarises your appointments again, then you hit cancel, then you get the availability (like in the OP's photo) and only then do you really hit cancel.

It does feel like you're hitting the 'big red button', but there are quite a few clicks to get to that stage."

Thank you! So there is a button "Cancel and rebook appointment", I clicked it and then got to the page which says "Check availability before you cancel your appointment".

The frustrating thing is that if there is no availability at the same venue, you can't check availability at other venues - you have to cancel first.

DH and I are a bit torn because there's no availability at the same venue so we would have to take a gamble by cancelling and seeing if there's anything sooner (but further away). I think we'll wait and just check obsessively regularly to see if appointments come up at the existing venue.

@AnotherEmma

OP when was your first jab?

Mine was mid May so have moved it from 11 weeks after to 8.

So I just pressed cancel and it showed me 24th June available (currently 10th July)… so I confirmed cancel but that one wasn’t there anymore (in fact that entire site wasn’t showing at all). Luckily I found an appointment nearby that was one day earlier than what I already had. But all the other nearby sites were showing dates that were 3-4 weeks after 10th July apart from that one! Not sure if the first one I saw got snapped up straight away… it did say limited availability…

I just went through the process again to see if it would show that earlier appointment this time but it didn’t because it only shows you availability at the venue you are already booked in. Shame you can’t put your postcode in to see all the nearby venues in advance (I’m asking too much now!). I’d have to cancel properly to see the others again.

@Wellysock

Do you have to click on the cancel option before it will let you check availability?

Yes sorry I should have said this. As 3rdcircle said you have to initiate the cancel process but don't have to confirm it until the above availability screen appears. I have been fairly gung ho about it and tried several times previously without success and just rebooked same or similar as there are always loads of slots at St Thomas. I can see it would be much more nerve-racking if your local centres have limited availability.

"I can see it would be much more nerve-racking if your local centres have limited availability."

Absolutely. No availability here. I travelled to a location further away for my first jab, as it was several days sooner. Booked my local centre for the second jab but now wondering whether that was the right call

I wonder if locations with higher rates of covid are getting more vaccine supplies more quickly... if that's the case then there would be more availability for people in "hotspot" areas than people elsewhere.

@AnotherEmma

"I can see it would be much more nerve-racking if your local centres have limited availability."

Absolutely. No availability here. I travelled to a location further away for my first jab, as it was several days sooner. Booked my local centre for the second jab but now wondering whether that was the right call

I wonder if locations with higher rates of covid are getting more vaccine supplies more quickly... if that's the case then there would be more availability for people in "hotspot" areas than people elsewhere.

I’m in a very low rate area but the new earlier sites/dates popping up for me are in a hot spot area 25 mins drive away so it seems that way here.

Interesting

Thanks OP just rebooked mine with a 9w gap instead of 11.

@Crackingowlsanctuary

I just went through the process again to see if it would show that earlier appointment this time but it didn’t because it only shows you availability at the venue you are already booked in. Shame you can’t put your postcode in to see all the nearby venues in advance (I’m asking too much now!). I’d have to cancel properly to see the others again.

Oh that's still as frustrating then, I have already had both of mine, but my second I could originally only book a centre 25 miles away (first one was 0.5) it was such a gamble to cancel it to try and get closer to home, the first time I got a centre 5 miles away and then luckily my very local one, but I was panicking I was going to be left with nothing.

It's annoying that it won't let you see other venues without canceling. My current venue hasn't had any availability the 3 times I've checked.

I've got plenty of time to move my appointment though

I did this yesterday. It's cancelled my app and won't let me rebook online!

Just call them. Same thing happened to dh, it's not a clever re-booking system!

@Worstyear2020 yes I will! Just so frustrating! Keeps asking for a booing reference to let you book ... yet I don't have one as don't have a booking 🙄