Any way I can accelerate my booster?

[Mommybunny]

I had first jab mid March and second jab early June. I’m 54 and in good health (never had Covid as far as I know). My booster is booked 18 December but I’m going to US for a few days in early December to see family and worried I’m flying into a superspreader event just before Christmas. I will be seeing LOTS of people and some of my family I’m ashamed to say are anti-Vax. Where I’m going has high Vax rates generally but doesn’t appear to have a broad Vax requirement for bars and restaurants.

I’d feel so much better if I could get my booster now to avoid bringing Covid back into the country. Does anyone know if there is any way to move my date up, maybe by going to a walk-in centre? Or is 6 months a hard rule the NHS won’t even consider changing?

My guess is it depends where you are in the country and how much capacity there is.

I'm aged 43 in London. Had my second jab 3rd June. Received text from NHS and was able to book for Monday 29th which is less than 182 days. Then got another text from Guy's hospital where I went previously, and they've let me book even earlier, this Saturday 20th which is just 170 days.

So, wishing you have similar luck!

I'm classed as group 6 CV though so maybe that's the reason.

Remember it takes 22 days for the vaccine to take full effect, so that would mean you’d have to have had it by now for it be beneficial on your trip.

Go and have a great time, take sensible precautions.

I’m 21 days right now from my flight. I hadn’t understood the 22 days (and in any event I thought it was 2 weeks?) to be a switch that, once flicked, would bounce me from “un-immune” to “fully immune”. As it is I already have some immunity from my first and second jabs. The 22/14 day effectiveness date i saw as a (reasonable) blunt instrument used by public health authorities to determine when a person has complied with any vaccine requirement, not a magic threshold for actual immunity. Or do I have that wrong?

At the moment I have no obligation to receive the booster, either here in the U.K. or where I’m going. But I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be helpful to have a booster working through my system while I’m in a higher risk situation and supposedly my immunity is at a point where it is starting to wane anyway.

But you may be right @Yellow85 and I may just have to bear the risk and take sensible precautions.

Just rebook it somewhere with an appointment earlier surely?

I'm flying to the US for work next week and I managed to get a next day appt at a walk in centre 2 weeks ago when my initial scheduled one was when I got back.

You could just try a walk in and ask there, won’t do any harm.

It's only 14 days for the booster to be deemed fully effective, not 21.

If you had second early June then you should be able to get an earlier appointment in Dec? Try a walk in centre.

@Mommybunny

I had first jab mid March and second jab early June. I’m 54 and in good health (never had Covid as far as I know). My booster is booked 18 December but I’m going to US for a few days in early December to see family and worried I’m flying into a superspreader event just before Christmas. I will be seeing LOTS of people and some of my family I’m ashamed to say are anti-Vax. Where I’m going has high Vax rates generally but doesn’t appear to have a broad Vax requirement for bars and restaurants.

I’d feel so much better if I could get my booster now to avoid bringing Covid back into the country. Does anyone know if there is any way to move my date up, maybe by going to a walk-in centre? Or is 6 months a hard rule the NHS won’t even consider changing?

Why are you ashamed of your family? It's their choice if they wish to be vaccinated. Heaven forbid, they're unvaccinated, so surely they must be swarming the streets riddled with COVID?!