How do second vaccines work for 17 year olds?

[PermanentlyDizzy]

Ds had his first vaccination at 17 and 4 months.

I understand that if he was 17 and 9 months he would get a second dose automatically, as his first would be within 3 months of turning 18, but that those with more than 3 months to go until their 18th birthday are only being invited for one dose.

Apologies if I am being dim. I’ve had a migraine for 10 days straight and my brain is fried, but do they get called for a second vaccination when they turn 17/9 or do they just get the one dose and that’s it?

He just received an invite from our GP surgery to book a second vaccination. Thought it was a bit odd, as he won’t be 17/9 until January. (He does have health issues which make him more vulnerable, eg he has the flu vaccine on the written request of his consultant, as he is likely to be very ill for a prolonged period of time if he catches it, but his condition isn’t one that qualified him for a ‘vulnerable’ covid vaccine.)

We booked the second jab as soon as we received the text. Ten minutes later received another text ‘your covid vaccination appointment has been cancelled by your practice, please book another’. Followed the link to find the message ‘This invitation to book has been cancelled. Your practice may have done this due to limited availability. they will contact you when they have more availability. You do not need to contact your practice.’

So, having just checked and realised he is exactly 8 weeks post his first dose, I assume he was invited in error, as he’s not old enough to be allowed two doses. He is disappointed, as he is mostly housebound anyway and still having to be really careful when he can go out, so a second vaccination would have been a bit of added reassurance. Annoyingly he’s the youngest of his friends too, so they all qualify for two doses and he doesn’t.

They haven’t managed to book his flu vaccination either yet, so I have booked him a private one, as by the time the GP sorted it last year we were past flu season!

He’s not due it yet. There was a post recently about how they’d been invited by mistake.
I always book mine in for flu at Boots, they get it much earlier that way.

Placemarking in case anyone else has insight. My 17 and a quarter year old got an absolute slew of texts inviting him for a second jab from 5 weeks after his first. Eventually I gave in and booked him for exactly 8 weeks after his first, but I'm expecting a cancellation.

@GoodnightGrandma, what I’m not sure of is if he will be due a second dose at all, given that would make his second dose 5 months after his first. The guidance says those 17+9 get two doses, those under that get one, but what’s not clear is what happens when they turn 17+9 or even 18.

@EvilRingahBitch Sounds like there is some sort of glitch in the system inviting people who don’t meet the criteria for second vaccination.

To be honest, our GPs have been particularly dire throughout the pandemic, to the extent they have been investigated by both the CQC and Healthwatch and been warned they need to improve. Lots of promises, but nothing has actually improved. They even failed to put through a two week cancer pathway referral for my other ds and it took me months to get through to them to sort it out (you can’t even get in the queue on the phone, as the lines are constantly at capacity). Thankfully he was negative for cancer, but it could have been so much worse. Such a shame, as before they became a multi-practice partnership they were excellent.

Dd isn't 18 until July. I think ours will have 1 dose only like 12-16 year olds. Its strange as it's supposed to be a 2 dose vax and others in their (exam) year will be fully protected but they won't. Oh well..

My 16 year old DD is due to have her second dose tomorrow. Sounds like it's a mistake and may not go ahead then?

DH just called the doctors and they said it is going ahead. Guess we'll find out one way or another tomorrow for sure.

Guidance at the moment is only 1 vaccine for otherwise healthy 16/17yo olds with exception to those CEV who would have been called much earlier for the vaccines anyway, those living in an immuno suppressed household, or working in the health/care sector. No further guidance has been issued yet whether these would get a 2nd dose at 18 or not.
The invites my have been generated due to the time frame from 1st vac not taking into consideration the d.o.b of the patient.
16/17yo in the clinics I work with are being asked to prove their eligibility for 2nd dose, whether that be a GP text/letter invite or proof of work .