Booster 3 month rollout from 13 December

[WhatsitWiggle]

Our GP practice has just shared the letter from the NHS detailing how vaccine capacity should be increased to hit the January government target. It's dated Friday 3 and says the NHS website will be changed from Monday 13 to offer boosters after 3 months and in age group cohorts. In the meantime the 6 month gap will apply.

Capacity increases rely on jabs from:
The military
St John's ambulance
Medical students
Non medical people previously trained up being asked to help
Current vaccinators working more shifts

Hope this helps explain things to anyone currently frustrated that they can't get their booster even though Boris announced it week ago.

Our surgery sent out texts last week. They are running slightly ahead, myself, husband, neighbours & local friends are getting boosters this week (all under 40 & less than 6 months). We were surprised to be offered so soon! But also pleased! I’m off for mine tomorrow 🙌🏼

How do I find out? My gp has never sent me any info for anything

I'm still waiting to hear from my GP. I've booked my booster on the NHS website but the GP has a more convenient choice of vaccination centres. I've currently got mine booked for 4th Jan as otherwise it was a couple of days before Christmas and I didn't want to risk side effects. I'm hoping I might be able to book w/c 13th once the changes are made.

@Bobholll

Our surgery sent out texts last week. They are running slightly ahead, myself, husband, neighbours & local friends are getting boosters this week (all under 40 & less than 6 months). We were surprised to be offered so soon! But also pleased! I’m off for mine tomorrow 🙌🏼

This is so annoying (great for you of course). Late 40s, kids in school, covid rife around here, 5.5 months and turned away at a walk in last week.

I wish it were less of a postcode lottery. You'd think they'd want to jab the oldest who are longest out from their 2nd jab earliest.

I don't know why I expect anything other than utter incompetence though .

I've had my booster today and was told that DH and DD (five and four months jabbed respectively) can walk in with a letter from my consultant mentioning my condition/medication and get a booster without an appointment, as of now. It's a large city centre vaccination centre so has the capacity to do it I suppose.

Might be worth looking into if you're vulnerable or someone you live with is.

My surgery is ahead. I'm late 30s. Five months since 2nd. Had mine to today and most in the queue seemed to be whole range of 30s.

I've not heard a thing from my GP about getting my booster (or about my flu jab either which as an asthmatic who is entitled to a flu jab each year is pretty shite.) Luckily I got my flu jab at work in October.

My town of more than 100,000 people has one single vaccine clinic with no capacity for walk-ins at all. Bookings are available for three week's time, which would be a month since my booster was due at six months.

So I did a 25 mile round trip yesterday to a walk-in booster clinic advertised on the CCG website as being open on Saturdays to find it closed.

I travelled another 25+ miles today to the next county to get my booster.

The government needs to sort out resourcing urgently to ensure people get their jabs.

It's fine for people like me who are willing and able to travel long distances to prioritise getting a jab. But vaccine clinics need to be local, easy to get to and have walk-in capacity if we have any hope of ensuring people who wouldn't bother to travel long distances get vaccinated.

And yes, I've written a cross letter to my MP about it.