PM to give 8pm address tonight (Sunday), no new restrictions expected

[bagofconkers]

"As pressure from virus rises, PM will give national address at 8pm tonight, updating the booster programme - sounds like this will NOT include new restrictions"

twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1470076029926522884

@RedToothBrush

No it maps exactly to the fact we have 42 Integrated Care Systems in the NHS.

Oh thats helpful... Not.

So we have to drop everything, travel and go to a centralised point and queue for hours with kids. Or try and do it before Friday fitting it with school hours or work. Whilst competing with 18 year olds to do so.

Over Christmas.

Yep thats going to work a treat.

They are planning teams, that doesn't mean 1 vaccination site per ICS....

Planning - for the wider roll out across the multiple vaccine delivery sites within each ICS...

@containsnuts

"Eh? It's literally an arm squeeze, jab and a push down".

Surely there's more to it than that? Or there should be. Do they not need to know how to keep things sterile, how to handle a needle and deliver the dose, ensure it's going into the right muscle and not a vein, what to do if something goes wrong, how to dispose of it safely. Surely some random from the bus stop can't just start injecting people?

There are nurses and trained HCPs on duty though so they do the hard bits.

When I was there on Friday a nurse was drawing up all the syringes. A different nurse did my chat and online paperwork bit

The vaccination literally just squeezed and jabbed me. Sharps pot on the table in front of me. Done and dusted.

I had to inject myself for a few weeks when pregnant and for a couple.of weeks after and that was with a nurse showing me just once.

I'm not a HCP, I'm genuinely just making an observation based on my experience and happy to be corrected about the level of difficulty though.

[quote AndreaC74]@rosie1959

So you are happy to make up your own mind about what the government is lying about or not?

Boris is supposed to be our leader, yet has zero leadership qualities "one rule for you plebs, another for us"[/quote]
As I said I listen to the scientists and medical professionals I use a bit of common sense and don't get sidelined by all the governments wrangling
Are the government lying about Omicron

As @Benjispruce5 says, walk in booster clinic’s are the way forward. DH and I both got ours that way. You can find the walk in locations on the NHS website and probably just with a general Google.

As @Benjispruce5 says, walk in booster clinic’s are the way forward. DH and I both got ours that way. You can find the walk in locations on the NHS website and probably just with a general Google.

Justasking11 nowhere at all? When I had mine we had to sit on chairs outside in the car park. It was worth it to get the booster.

@containsnuts

Genuine question - how long does it take to train a vaccinator and what's involved? (Slightly concerned about being injected by some random unscreened person with only an afternoon's training).

The actual technique of vaccination isnt that hard. Just need to understand the anatomy so you know its going in the muscle and how to check your not in a blood vessel before you inject. But all vaccinators need basic life support training too. Cant have people jabbing others and then not being able to recognise the signs of anaphylaxis and how to respond to it. Also need to understand issue of consent, contra indications, safe handling of medicines, correct storage etc. think it was a 2 or 3 day course when I looked into it year ago and they required you to be medical or nursing staff at that time. I imagine they have condensed it but I wouldn't take the jab from anyone less than a trained nurse or doctor tbh.

@containsnuts

"Eh? It's literally an arm squeeze, jab and a push down".

Surely there's more to it than that? Or there should be. Do they not need to know how to keep things sterile, how to handle a needle and deliver the dose, ensure it's going into the right muscle and not a vein, what to do if something goes wrong, how to dispose of it safely. Surely some random from the bus stop can't just start injecting people?

I inject myself weekly. My "training" was being shown once, that was it Different as it's sub cut but it's not tricky. I occasionally hit a blood vessel and bruise but that's about it

I don’t think the government are lying - they’re just lacking in data so preparing for the worst. After the farce that was 2020 they have to really.

We don’t know how severe omicron is yet - data looks hopeful but there’s other factors to take into account when assessing SA and trying to compare to the UK.

The paper I read was for current models for a range of scenarios BUT working on the assumption omicron is as severe as delta.

I don’t think the government are lying - they’re just lacking in data so preparing for the worst. After the farce that was 2020 they have to really.

We don’t know how severe omicron is yet - data looks hopeful but there’s other factors to take into account when assessing SA and trying to compare to the UK.

The paper I read was for current models for a range of scenarios BUT working on the assumption omicron is as severe as delta.

Well Boris Johnson has certainly' boosted ' the population with his many children over the decades, so this was an easy speech for him tonight!

@NMC2022 A bit different when you're injecting members of the public though.

The scientists reckon that Omicron is coming for us and according to UKHSA previously infected and double jabbed are going to have very limited immunity against infection.

So that means a big wave.

If true, there is bugger all we can do about it. I doubt that a full lockdown will make much difference.

The Govt are hiding behind vaccination as their only demonstrable success. The theory is that more boosters = more antibodies, and that this could reduce the number of infections.

They are going to pursue this with insane vigour in an attempt to make so much noise that they don’t spend the next month constantly defending rising numbers. When the heat gets too much they will lock us down, even though they know it will do no good.

Of course omicron might not be that bad. South African doctors are saying so right now.

It’s a gamble and the Govt have nothing left in the pot. They are all in on this course of action. st or bust.

I am double jabbed and I have my booster booked but my feeling is that this is mostly hysterical panic. We should find out fairly soon.

I hope we all make it. It’s going to be a ride.

Gosh, I can't believe how spoilt some people are. Moaning and fretting about a few logistical challenges that can easily be overcome with a bit of resourcefulness to get a live saving vaccine for free.

Rather than complaining about the level of training jabbers get, why don't you offer to volunteer? Rather than thinking how can I possibly be expected to travel to get a booster why not consider yourselves lucky that it is at all on offer?

Alec, well said !
I think the boosters and jabs is their first line of defense , for now , and they can beat off the criticism with ' we are doing the boosters 24/7 ' etc. the press can't really argue with the intent

I thought the booster did help with severe disease etc?

Just not infection that much

So I agree re big wave and I reckon we’re to expect high numbers rather than lockdown

@Porfre

I'm not saying anymore. But that's what they've asked GP practices.

They've told them stop all urgent/ same day work and jab as much as they can instead for the next 2 weeks.
Maybe someone else whose had the same message will elaborate or more information will come out about this in the next few days.

Not sure how that's going to work. The surgery I work at (and 4 others in the town) don't give the vaccine and never have, so everyone would have to do the training. Then we'd have to cancel all the patients who are already booked in (some of the GP appts and all the nurse and HCA ones are booked in advance). One surgery in the town is a vaccine centre (I work there too) alongside their normal GP surgery but the vaccine side is mainly staffed by people like me, who trained up and come in to do it. Their usual GPs don't get involved and again would likely have to do the training before they start.

Also, you can't just stop the Primary Care provision for 2 weeks, that's insane!

"I hope we all make it. It’s going to be a ride."

That gives me early 2020 vibes all over again (shudder)

[quote containsnuts]@NMC2022 A bit different when you're injecting members of the public though.[/quote]
Most of it is common sense. Provided you know where to inject and the hygiene rules you can't really go wrong. I imagine a day training covers it (sanitise, sanitise, sanitise, don't jab yourself with a needle, don't throw the needle in a normal bin...)
Mine has a black box warning in America because it causes so many anaphylactic reactions and they still let me loose with it!

@PercyThick absolutely spot on!

@containsnuts

"I hope we all make it. It’s going to be a ride."

That gives me early 2020 vibes all over again (shudder)

Why? EMA and WHO say Omicron is mild and warn against vaccine hoarding.

No prior warning to GP surgeries advance of announcement...
they are going to get a firestorm of calls tomorrow.
And many GP appoinments will be cancelled to focus on boosters

@AnnieSnap

As *@Benjispruce5* says, walk in booster clinic’s are the way forward. DH and I both got ours that way. You can find the walk in locations on the NHS website and probably just with a general Google.

Probably but they’ll need a lot more. The only one near me is only for 3rd doses for immunosuppressed. Which is fine, I get why they need to be prioritised, but there isn’t another one near me.

The booster drive sounds very sensible to me. We have no idea if lockdown would be sufficient to contain omicron anyway. Very unlikely that the current measures will make much difference. There is much better evidence that boosters will help than anything else.

@Chessie678

The booster drive sounds very sensible to me. We have no idea if lockdown would be sufficient to contain omicron anyway. Very unlikely that the current measures will make much difference. There is much better evidence that boosters will help than anything else.

Ditto