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Post code lottery U18 offered vaccine

41 replies

woulducouldushouldu · 08/07/2021 20:44

A couple of my daughters friends (U18 and one is only 16) live in Enfield in N London. They have been called up and offered vaccination (which they have all taken). Def no health issues or living with CEV people. It appears that the borough have spare capacity. AIBU to be fuming that my DD can't get the vaccine but kids who live 2 streets away can?

OP posts:
MrsSkylerWhite · 08/07/2021 20:52

It was like this for us for a while (our youngest is 18). Was honestly just pleased that some were being jabbed.

We know one 17 year old girl who was jabbed before him: she accompanied her mum to the centre for mum’s second jab, mum just asked. The centre told them to come back at the end of the next Pfizer day, they couldn’t promise but there was a good chance as they usually have 5-10 spare doses: they did and she was vaccinated. They told us and we took our son to the same centre next morning: same process, come back next Pfizer day. We did, he was jabbed probably a month earlier than waiting to be contacted (relief for us, with asthma)
Maybe be pro-active and do the same at centres in your borough? To be clear, these were otherwise throw aways and they’re desperate not to waste jabs.

Hopefully, won’t be long before your under-18s can get theirs in any event. Fingers crossed for you.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 08/07/2021 21:03

I thought they were doing anyone over 16?

woulducouldushouldu · 08/07/2021 21:25

I might take her next week and see how we go

OP posts:
Fiddlersgreen · 08/07/2021 21:26

I know of a few 17 year olds that have been invited for vaccine but my DS hasn’t.
Have heard that the walk ins will jab them as long as they are over 16 but we haven’t tested that

Watchingyou2sleezes · 08/07/2021 21:31

Why would you want your DDs to take part in a clinical trial of a vaccine for a disease that will almost certainly do them very little harm at worst?

Your want them to take potential long term risks for absolutely no short term gain...

How odd

Tealightsandd · 08/07/2021 21:32

It's difficult. It's frustrating having a sort of postcode lottery, but it's not that they've been given extra supply. They have spare because of low take up amongst eligible groups.

They're desperately trying to increase take up in older and more vulnerable in some areas, including with walk ins, but there's only so much they can do. If take up is lower than hoped or anticipated, they'll end up with some spare doses that need using before expiry.

Also, while it might not be the case with your dd's friends, lots of people keep their health status very private. Sometimes they don't even tell everyone in their own family, and definitely not friends. It's possible they are clinically vulnerable or live with someone who is CEV but don't want to say.

I hope your daughter can get her jab soon.

Livingintheclouds · 08/07/2021 21:34

I have type 1 diabetes and I wasn't asked to get one early, I just waited until my age came up and booked. Many of my friends had already been invited with no underlying conditions. That's just the way it is.

DinosaurDiana · 08/07/2021 21:41

A local jab centre had so many left over that they did a quick dash to the nearest bug centre do they didn’t go to waste.
It’s time for those with excess to be inviting 16 +

cherin · 08/07/2021 21:56

Enfield? Im in Haringey…am going to try the next walk in clinic on a quiet afternoon. I wonder if they do any on the way of the football game…my 17yo could not care less about football…

RestingFace · 08/07/2021 22:32

Look, I know it must be difficult being a kid. Not a lot of schemes. But...You know, I'm not the borough. I wish I was...........

woulducouldushouldu · 08/07/2021 22:48

@cherin

Enfield? Im in Haringey…am going to try the next walk in clinic on a quiet afternoon. I wonder if they do any on the way of the football game…my 17yo could not care less about football…
I'm also in haringey. Let me know how you get on
OP posts:
cherin · 08/07/2021 23:11

There’s actually one Pfizer walk in on Sunday at Bounds Green from 9 to 12…i think it’s worth a try (what time is the game? I imagine it would be veeeery empty the closer one gets to game time!)

RedToothBrush · 09/07/2021 08:29

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57766717

Why???

MrsSkylerWhite · 09/07/2021 08:40

RedToothBrush

“www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57766717

Why???”

Can’t answer for OP obviously. For us, circumstances.
We paid for our son to receive the HPV, he just missed out at school. It would be unlikely to make him unwell but we and he would rather he didn’t infect future sexual partners (he’s heterosexual) and potentially cause them dangerous health issues. Likewise, he has CEV close loved ones so wanted the Pfizer vaccine to reduce chances of transmission to them as best he could.

MrsMeg1 · 09/07/2021 08:43

I read that Redtoothbrush but also found this quite concerning;

"The studies did not assess the risk of “long Covid” in under 18s. However, speaking at a separate online seminar organised by the Royal Society of Medicine, one of the country’s leading experts on the condition in children and young people warned that a “tidal wave” of long Covid infections among teens was on the way.

Esther Crawley, a professor of child health at the University of Bristol, said that some frontline doctors were in denial about long Covid in children. “Parents and children are going to their GPs to try to seek help and being turned away.” She also said that her direct experience studying the condition had convinced her that children over the age of 12 should now be vaccinated.

The scale of the problem was also emphasised by Nathalie MacDermott, a doctor and clinical lecturer in paediatrics at King’s College London, who warned of shortages of paediatric resources to cope with it. “We are talking several thousand children, young people and young adults suffering ongoing symptoms. It could be detrimental to their education and, later on, to our economy, not least since we do not have enough paediatricians in this country to manage.”

I've got a 17 year old due to go to a large college in Sept, so would ideally like them vaccinated before then.

ineedaholidaynow · 09/07/2021 08:47

If someone gets an end of the day spare vaccine, are they then in the system to get the second one?

cherin · 09/07/2021 08:55

Yes they will be registered as normal

TheTallOakTrees · 09/07/2021 08:56

@Watchingyou2sleezes

Why would you want your DDs to take part in a clinical trial of a vaccine for a disease that will almost certainly do them very little harm at worst?

Your want them to take potential long term risks for absolutely no short term gain...

How odd

Biscuit
Marianicka · 09/07/2021 08:56

@RedToothBrush

Because the average 16 year old's GCSE courses have been absolutely shafted by Covid and they want to get back into school and get on with their A-levels without disruption.

Because many of them use public transport every day and it's a stressful and unpleasant environment at the moment.

Because many of them have part time jobs in customer-facing environments and they don't want to let their bosses down or cause the business go have to close if they get ill.

Because many of them have elderly grandparents who they would like to be able to see more freely.

Because teenagers in other countries have been being vaccinated for months.

Because people with two jabs have freedom to enter certain countries when the unvaccinated do not (some countries are specifying double-vaccinated and their dependents under 12 which leaves British teenagers in limbo)

Because they want to play their part in getting the country back on its feet and to be ready to get on with their lives as soon as humanly possible.

Because many of them have siblings only a year or two older who are being strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.

Because some of them will have known schoolfriends catch Covid and be really quite poorly with it.

Because there is a modest but definite risk of long Covid.

insancerre · 09/07/2021 08:59

Where I am in lancs there are drop in centres for anyone 16 and over

ineedaholidaynow · 09/07/2021 09:01

@Marianicka DS(16) has just started doing part-time job which is customer facing. I am sure they would like it if he was vaccinated especially if masks and SD disappear in a couple of weeks.

cherin · 09/07/2021 09:16

Red:
My 17yo is built like a man, from a physical point of view being 6months short of 18 is completely irrelevant. But his life experiences are severely limited by not being vaccinated, and we hope to go and see grandparents well into their 80s (who don’t have other grandchildren and are very depressed by the distance). One is double vaccinated but recently finished chemio&radio, the other one I would call a sufferer of dementia if I didn’t know he has behaved erratically for at least 25 years- and has refused vaccine (he says he is tired of living!).
My kid would be keen to see them- but not if it means bringing unnecessary risks.
If he was 12yo I might not feel so certain it’s a good idea, but as things stand, I believe he’s doing the right reasoning and am happy to support him. He would not want to take a dose, unless it was a spare.

MarsandPluto · 09/07/2021 09:24

I've been told that places now have the facilities to store unused Pfizer vaccines so there is no such thing called "spare or left over " vaccines. They can now be used for the next vaccine clinic is what I have been told Confused

KittyMcKitty · 09/07/2021 09:28

@Watchingyou2sleezes

Why would you want your DDs to take part in a clinical trial of a vaccine for a disease that will almost certainly do them very little harm at worst?

Your want them to take potential long term risks for absolutely no short term gain...

How odd

I think at 16 they are perfectly capable of making their own decisions. My 16 year old currently has COVID and is very poorly- her and all her friends are going down like dominos- she (and all her friends) have followed every rule for the past 18 months without complaining (including having massive disruption to her education and her GCSEs cancelled).

I asked her if she would like to be vaccinated and she her comment was “why on earth wouldn’t I!” Shes spent 18 months considering the needs of others and it’s about time someone centered her needs. As soon as she’s recovered and the 30 days has passed we are going to try and get her vaccinated.

sorrysaywhatnow · 09/07/2021 09:55

@MarsandPluto once reconstituted the diluted Pfizer must be used within 6 hours or chucked in the bin, which is obviously a horrible position to be in, both morally and financially!

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