Covid Booster Query

[fridayhooray]

Hi. Is it possible for someone to get 2 covid booster jabs by mistake or do the people who do the jabs check records first?

I managed to be a booster today; they had the computer records detailing my previous doses. So, using this system, they would be unlikely to give extra doses by mistake.

Would that apply to a GP surgery that a relative isn't registered with that can do the booster rather than a booster vaccination site? Thanks

There’s a central database that’s attached to your NHS number and checks the date of any previous vaccinations so it’s highly unlikely. It’s not completely fool proof - vaccinations given abroad might not be recorded for example. But it doesn’t matter who gives the vaccine - walk in, GP, pharmacy whatever.

@Hobbes8

There’s a central database that’s attached to your NHS number and checks the date of any previous vaccinations so it’s highly unlikely. It’s not completely fool proof - vaccinations given abroad might not be recorded for example. But it doesn’t matter who gives the vaccine - walk in, GP, pharmacy whatever.

Hobbes is right, all of the vaccine clinical systems in England look up to the same national database. The person giving the vaccine checks previous doses before giving the jab.

I say England because welsh, Scottish and Irish data of jabs may not show up in the check

But hopefully the person receiving the jab will remember if they've had another booster in another part of the country prior to moving gp practice to England

@Abitodd - could I ask if you work at a GP practice?

Why do you want to know OP?

I'm just concerned that an elderly friend who is forgetful might get two booster jabs by mistake.

@Abitodd - sorry I'm not trying to pry

@Abitodd

If they are forgetful they need an advocate and shouldn’t really be attending appointments alone if their memory can’t be relied upon see example above. Also there are also other times you would rely on the patient for eg if the computers were down! This could also happen with flu jabs-they could end up with two flu jabs for eg one at the gp and one offered by the pharmacist the pharmacist does not have access to the patients record only the patients word.

It's a bit worrying that the surgery aren't using the point of care systems at the vaccination appointment, that is a mandatory part of the process in standard clinics in order to minimise risk of duplicate vaccinations.

Even in schools, are homes etc. They still use the live system which updates in near real time.

Jesus @Abitodd where do you work? They’re not following the protocols set out for the vaccination programme at all. All covid vaccinations should be recorded on the point of care system that writes back to the patient’s medical record overnight.

OP I should stress that I’m not clinical, but it’s not particularly risky to get more than one vaccine in error. It’s not like overdosing on a drug. I heard about a vaccine site that gave out 50 or so vaccines that had been moved off site so shouldn’t technically have been used. They recalled the patients and gave them another one.

@Abitodd flu is point of care this year too, most are recording on pinnacle. Pharmacies use pinnacle and it is sent almost immediately to your gp practice and writes to the national system.

Paper should only be used for system down time, to avoid mishaps. The point of care systems are mandated for safety, yes there are exceptions where duplicate vaccines can still be given but the objective is to be safe.

You mentioned that the patient sees the dr before the jab, are they using pinnacle to complete the clinical assurance?

Yes, we put it all straight on to Pinnacle. You can check the dates/types of previous vaccines so that you don't give the wrong thing or do it too soon. The flu vaccines go on to Pinnacle too , and mine certainly got through to my GP record.

Yes across my whole region all covid and flu vaccines are recorded real time into pinnacle including in the pharmacies.

That is the national guidance sites are supposed to use a point of care system either pinnacle, nivs, nims or directly into EMIS or SystmOne at the point the vaccine is given.

All require a real time check of the NIMS central system showing vaccines given to date and the record is written back to NIMS in real time to ensure that records are up to date.

Then NIMS writes back to the GP systems, supposed to be overnight but there are some times some delays in that. But as long as people do the lookup before they vaccinate then they are minimising the risk of duplicate vaccinations.

There are still vaccines that won't show on NIMS such as trials and foreign vaccines hence the questions to the patient too.