Can't get booster jab

[KittenCatcher]

Despite having 3 gp surgeries, 5 pharmacies and 2 small hospitals in my area I cannot book for my booster. The next appointment MAY be in January, 5 miles from home, 8 months from my second dose. No doubt it will be my fault if I dont get vaccinated. Is this the same everywhere. No g.p or pharmacy offer it in my area.

16 miles for me (cambridgeshire)

Have you tried calling 119? They might be able to find something for you.

I just booked mine (over 40) and although there is plenty of availability locally it won't offer dates less than 6 months from the date of your second vaccine.

Anecdotally you can book the date offered and then move it back, which I haven't bothered with.

Not all pharmacies have the option to offer COVID vaccines, unlike the flu vaccine. It is a separate service and they have to guarantee a minimum number each week. The NHS approaches pharmacies depending on where they perceive there is a need and where there will be enough uptake.
I know this doesn't help your predicament OP, but it is worth looking into where else is available. As a one off trip would you have anyone who could give you a lift?

I live in a rural county. I've had my booster today - the earliest day I was allowed to have it having had my 2nd dose in May. I booked it online. Had to travel to a centre 12 miles away. Could have booked it at one 5 miles away but they are only open Thurs/Fri so travelled to get it quicker. Nearly all the centres which were doing walk ins here seem to have now switched to pre booked appointments only from today. Only one place doing walk ins and that's a hospital 20 miles away. I'm surprised that there is so little availability in your area. The clinic I went to was very busy today but I had no problem booking.

Please PM one of us and say where you are, OP. This is really strange. Every single vaccination centre within a 20 mile radius of me is offering walk in booster vaccinations along with appointments. They're desperate to get vaccines in arms.

But I only know that because of the local social media pages which are flagging up every day what times you can walk in. Our local council (I'm rural too) is offering free transport to our nearest centre, and the local good neighbours group is also offering lifts from their volunteers.

At 70 you should have had your booster ages ago. So maybe we can research if for you? Even if you just post to say what county you're in, maybe someone here can help.

Dorset

DDs 2nd jab is 5 miles away too, but it is a 30 minute drive. I'm not impressed either.

If I had to go on public transport, it would be a 1.5 mile walk to the bus stop and then about an hour on the bus.

There is a big vaccination place much much nearer but it doesn't have any appointments.

I'm driving 25 miles for mine , about 40 mins

It was really hard to get even this. So I can see why booster take up is low

I presume you tried this?
www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site

5 miles sounds pretty reasonable.

Today 19:50 dizzydizzydizzy

DDs 2nd jab is 5 miles away too, but it is a 30 minute drive. I'm not impressed either.

If I had to go on public transport, it would be a 1.5 mile walk to the bus stop and then about an hour on the bus.

There is a big vaccination place much much nearer but it doesn't have any appointments.“

Can’t help but think that if you decide to live somewhere where the roads are so bad that it takes 30 minutes to drive 5 miles (where is that?!), then expecting an emergency pandemic vaccination centre on your doorstep is a tad unreasonable.

I’m very impressed by the system 🤷‍♀️

The walk ins for me are even further away.

I can see your issue OP. I think I'd be getting a taxi, just because it's so important .

Sorry OP, I've been out since I posted. Sadly Dorset isn't an area I know.

But @Cookerhood has linked you to the webpage I was going to suggest next. It's not always up to date though (I know it doesn't always have the right days for my nearest vaccination hub (where I volunteer) and people have said they'd have come in if they'd known we were open. So find out which centres do walk-ins at all, and then contact them direct (or use social media) to check on their dates and times.

I've waited ages to get my booster appointment for tomorrow its a 40 mile round trip and had my last vaccine in april

Blimey that is poor.

I would send an email to your GP and insist the practice manager (not the receptionists) call you back. That wait is ludicrous full stop, but at 70 you are most certainly in the vulnerable category. Also - ring Age Concern. I would also ring up the local paper who I am sure would be delighted to do a piece on this problem, and that will help knock a few heads together locally.

Oh OP that is rubbish, I wish I lived near you and I would drive you in a heartbeat. Are there any Dorset mnetters on here who could pm the OP and see if they could help if they live nearby?

Thank you everyone. I will just keep ringing the surgery to get my appointment and will get a taxi when it comes up. I do look on the walk in site link but they are now only available in a different county, there is nothing nearby. I have asked my g.p many times why they dont offer it at the local surgeries or the 5 pharmacies . We have a total of 24 GPs and 12 nurses.

@KittenCatcher

Thank you everyone. I will just keep ringing the surgery to get my appointment and will get a taxi when it comes up. I do look on the walk in site link but they are now only available in a different county, there is nothing nearby. I have asked my g.p many times why they dont offer it at the local surgeries or the 5 pharmacies . We have a total of 24 GPs and 12 nurses.

Seriously. Please phone age concern. I imagine that they have volunteers who would sorry this for you, and maybe even take you to the next county's walk in. You shouldn't be having to wait for another two months.

Also keep calling 119. New appointments are released every day. My centre is coming up with more and more dates that they're open, because of the drive to give younger people the booster. So you could phone 119 today and discover you could get jabbed this week.

Seriously, forget your surgery. They don't do them. It's 119 you should be calling.

saraclara, thank you. Our local vaccine centre is a county hospital 5 miles away, it doesnt appear o the NHS list, it never did last time, you can only book it via the g.p. you cannot book it direct, it's not a walk in, they are fully booked, you just have to keep calling the surgery for them to book it for you. I gave up hoping local GPS or pharmacies would offer it a long time ago. I will try 119.

Do you mind saying whereabouts in Dorset you are? Quite understand if you'd rather not.

Cookeehood, are you able to help in any way

The NHS walk-in clinic website doesn’t list all the walk in centres. There is one in our town centre - no mention of it whatsoever on the website! It’s ridiculous - it gives the impression our nearest one is nearly 20 miles away when the reality is it’s less than a mile away.

How do you find out the ones that are nearer, the walk in ones on the NHS website are about 15 miles away