Third jab, not booster

[Justonedayatatime11]

Has anyone had one? I'm ECV and about to start new treatment which will weaken my immune system even further. My GP contacted me to arrange an appointment for tomorrow, but given I only had my second dose in August, I'm slightly concerned I'll get there and be turned away.

My local centre does third doses. If you are eligible you won’t be turned away. Explain it’s a third dose..

Yes, I’ve had one. However unless you were severely immunocompromised at or around the time you had jab 1 or jab 2, you don’t qualify for a third primary dose. Becoming immunocompromised now would make you eligible for a booster after six months though.

If you are eligible for a third primary it can be given any time after 8 weeks from your second.

You only have to leave 8 weeks after your second vaccination for your third primary vaccine.

I can't arrange mine, however hard I try (I'm eligible on the advice of my rheumatologist and have a letter from him saying as much).

I've had some brilliant advice on here though and I'm going to try rocking up at my vaccination centre with my letter, which seems to have worked for some people. A vaccinator here also suggested I do that.

You won't be turned away OP - third primary doses can be given 8 weeks after the second, as PPs have said.

I've had to cancel it anyway, DD is unwell

I’ve had mine. Got a text, then a letter. I wasn’t even aware I’m considered severely immunocompromised! The center near us has been very good (even Boris singled them out for praise).

I had my third dose a few weeks ago and had to take my letter with me that said it was a third dose and to have it close to 8 weeks post second dose and not a booster. Absolutely no problem at all at the appointment, and will be contacted in six months for my booster.

I've been severely immunocompromised throughout. I've had my two so I can go on holiday / not have to isolate. You couldn't pay me to have anymore vaccines now. It's ridiculous

I didn't even realise till recently that they were different things. Can you have both? A triple dose and also a booster? Certain weeks apart?

@Oblomov21 you can have the booster 6 months after your third primary.

I wish I knew. I thought I'd had a booster but maybe it was a third dose? And what's the ACTUAL difference. Have scoured the web , including the government site, and it definitely isn't clear. Both would have been after 6 months for me. Either could apply.

The government explanation focuses on the health issues of the individual patient. That doesn't explain what the differences between the vaccines are.Fo they have different properties, or varying protection against updated variants?

@Duckrace

The government explanation focuses on the health issues of the individual patient. That doesn't explain what the differences between the vaccines are.Fo they have different properties, or varying protection against updated variants?

If moderna is given then it's half a dose for a booster, a full dose for a third vaccine Important to differentiate as well as otherwise you might not get a booster (4th vaccine) My third is tomorrow

I am really sorry if I'm being dim here but I still don't quite get her difference, between a third dose and a booster.
I just looked it up and it mentions 3rd dose and booster in the same article.

I had 2nd dose in April. So I'm due. I'm booked for Monday - my booster. It was only because of reading mn that I realised that some people were getting a third dose. It took me a while to realise that this was a different thing to the booster that everyone else is talking about.

So. How or why would some people be offered a 3rd dose. Am I supposed to contact my GP and ask for one. Am I not supposed to have my booster tomorrow but try and get the 3rd dose instead?

Third doses are for those who were severely immunosuppressed at the time of original vaccines, there is a strict criteria for it

www.gov.uk/government/news/jcvi-issues-advice-on-third-dose-vaccination-for-severely-immunosuppressed

If you're eligible for a third dose then a booster you'll get contacted - I got a text and letter to book.

You can then have a booster so 4 doses In Total, in six months time

@Oblomov21

Thank you Barry. I will ask my GP about my third.

@NotMyCat thank you. I've checked, by looking at my patient records, and I had a third dose.

It can't only be me who has just come across this new confusion. I don't remember it being mentioned when I had it-in fact, it wasn't.

I assume I wait to hear about a booster, or not, by waiting for a letter if I need one.

@Oblomov21 it doesn't help that the media have it all mixed up too. Sky were going on about third doses when they meant booster!

Agreed Cat, it hasn't been made clear.

I am off for my third vaccine this morning anyway! Flu jab arm is v sore

The whole third primary dose jab roll out as opposed to the covid booster seems to have been handled really poorly. I know I’m eligible for the third primary dose but it’s been me that’s been chasing for it. When I spoke to my gp he was adamant that I meant the booster, as he knew nothing about a third primary dose 🙄 he was also adamant that they wouldn’t be doing four doses, so three primary dose followed by a booster six months later, even though I know this is the case. I have found out that if you have a letter then you can turn up at walk in centres and get the jab, as has been mentioned above. I’m still waiting for my letter to arrive, so I can do that!!

As mentioned on another thread on this subject, GPs were informed on 2nd and 21st September via email from NHS. Clearly many GP practices didn’t read them.

@Lily999888 I’m not surprised your GP didn’t know about the third primary dose, most of the gps I work with don’t either. That’s because they are busy seeing patients while the practice Manager (me) and the admin team are the ones who are actually keeping up to date with who is eligible for what, runningI g the searches and sending the invitations

I was called by my GP surgery for my booster but when I got to the surgery, the vaccinators told me it would eventually be recorded as my third dose and I would be recalled in 6 months for a booster.

There was only the option on the record to put it as a booster but they have put 3rd dose in the notes.

I had chemo before my two doses and again afterwards which is why I needed a 3rd dose.

[quote aftonwater]@Lily999888 I’m not surprised your GP didn’t know about the third primary dose, most of the gps I work with don’t either. That’s because they are busy seeing patients while the practice Manager (me) and the admin team are the ones who are actually keeping up to date with who is eligible for what, runningI g the searches and sending the invitations[/quote]
It was the fact that my gp was adamant that I was wrong and didn’t attempt to help me with it. My gp practice seem to have washed their hands of the whole covid vaccine process now, even posting on Facebook that they don’t want people contacting them about it. I understand that they have a lot of other things on their plate, but it was the fact that my gp was basically telling me that I was wrong and did nothing to try and help me with it!