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Original poster

Why I am not having the booster

71 replies

ihatefacemasks · 13/12/2021 20:16

For the 14th day in a row, I have tried to book a booster vacc appointment. I usually get offered one 50+ miles away. Today, I have been told:

"Lots of people are trying to book an appointment.

You are number 10617 in the queue"

WTF is the point in telling people to have boosters if they can't have them? I fall into two categories (over 50 and CEV) - not keen on having them, but have regarded them as a necessary evil compared to more months of no income, i.e. lockdown.

I can't be the only one, if there are over 1,000 people also waiting even to get onto the website in my local area alone...

OP posts:
Overthebow · 13/12/2021 20:19

Sorry, I don't understand why you can't have one?

WheelieBinPrincess · 13/12/2021 20:20

You can have one.

The website is a shit show now but no one’s saying you can’t have one. Try a walk in.

Refrosty · 13/12/2021 21:04

I walked in and got mine with no fuss. Couldn't get anywhere with the website but got my booster earlier than most non-vulnerable people my age (30s)

Vapeyvapevape · 13/12/2021 21:07

I was 5 thousand and something in the queue, it took about 2 minutes for me to get to number 1 and book my booster for the next day.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 13/12/2021 21:10

I must see it is annoying to be urgently exhorted to get a booster when it is difficult to actually get one. But stick with it, you will get one soon.

Cosmos123 · 13/12/2021 21:10

Go to a walk in clinic

TaVeryMuchLove · 13/12/2021 21:12

@Vapeyvapevape

I was 5 thousand and something in the queue, it took about 2 minutes for me to get to number 1 and book my booster for the next day.
Yep. Me too. Wasn’t a big deal.
vera99 · 13/12/2021 21:15

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

countdowntonap · 13/12/2021 21:17

What do you booking confirmations state? Mine states ‘ NHS Booking: Your appointment for a dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is confirmed…’

I followed the option for over 30s booster so am confused about this. Is it an error?

FordsonMajor · 13/12/2021 21:19

If you are CEV are you talking about a 4th dose?

DragonDoor · 13/12/2021 21:24

"Lots of people are trying to book an appointment.

You are number 10617 in the queue"

So did you book the appt?

Bobholll · 13/12/2021 21:24

If you are CEV & over 50, you could have had it weeks ago surely? Like a couple months no? My mum is 59 and CEV & had hers a while back now. Where do you live? Surely the nearest city is less than 50 miles away & will have walk in vaccine centres? It opened up to the rest of the population to book today, probably not the best day to try 🙈

CheesyFootballsAreEvil · 13/12/2021 21:25

Just be patient there's loads of people trying one day you'll get there. The website obviously isn't designed to deal with ridiculously high volumes of people

gamerchick · 13/12/2021 21:28

Why have you waited until now? You've been entitled to it for a while?

GoldenOmber · 13/12/2021 21:35

I’d stick with it if I were you, but it does get a bit annoying hearing all this “get your booster!” when it can sometimes be so hard to get one. No, not all of us have a handy nearby walk-in centre!

CarrieBlue · 13/12/2021 21:35

@countdowntonap

That’s what my confirmation said, had booster on Friday, all good

cassgate · 13/12/2021 21:39

Posted this on another thread.

Considering DH’s 95 year old aunt hasn’t managed to get her booster yet despite being housebound, I do not hold out much hope that any booster target will be reached. She has been trying for weeks via gp, pharmacist , carers 119 to get a home visit to no avail. My 83 & 84 year old in laws are driving to her house tomorrow with a borrowed wheelchair so they can take her to the local vaccination centre because they have also been going round in circles trying to get her a home visit. They are very worried because she has multiple care visits a day ( which she pays for out of her own money) but it’s not always the same carers so on any given week she can see 5 or 6 different people. It is an utter shambles.

NMC2022 · 13/12/2021 21:45

@FordsonMajor

If you are CEV are you talking about a 4th dose?
Only 500,000 of the CEV get a 4th dose
BakewellGin1 · 13/12/2021 21:47

Have you not been eligible for a while?

I was nearly 3000 in the queue online and was on site within 5 minutes....

Booked appointment for beginning of Jan (due to work couldn't make available earlier dates) however a more local centre has opened for appointments so now aiming for Thursday. Awaiting an email reply before I cancel Jan appointment.

Isababybel · 13/12/2021 22:02

Ive spent a lot of the day trying and it would crash before letting me in a queue. Just tried again and took 10mins of queueing, started at number 8500 but it drops quickly. Now im all booked. Are you just being impatient??

GrumpyTerrier · 13/12/2021 22:13

I tried 4 times tonight. The first time , 8000 in queue, I had to wait then got to the booking then the website crashed. Second time 7000 it also crashed when I got to 3000. Third time didn't even get a number of pople then- crashed. Fourth time lucky and just booked in after a wait. Just persevere. It wasnt that much of a faff.

FOJN · 13/12/2021 22:19

I was position 11600 when I booked, it took about 3 minute to get to the head of the queue. Not sure how it works in your local area but I get offered a range of vaccination centres before I'm offered a date so I can chose the most convenient location. The closest one is 20 miles away.

Original poster
ihatefacemasks · 13/12/2021 22:25

To answer a few:

I live in a city. The next city is the one where I have been, until today, offered a booster. The next city is 50 miles away and the venue is not accessible via public transport (currently not allowed to drive due to a health condition).

I had a 'book your booster' text several weeks ago. I have been trying ever since. Today was just taking the biscuit.

I didn't book one because I had a million other things to do, including dealing with a child who has MH issues as a direct result of lockdown, and I was so pissed off that I started a thread on MN instead.

Tried my local place as a walk-in this evening (caught a bus that went well out of my way to do so). They told me to go away and book online.

Ha, bloody ha.

Yes, I am impatient, and I know I'll get one eventually. It just pisses me off that we're all being told to do it, and then it's so bloody impossible!

OP posts:
Stevenage689 · 13/12/2021 22:26

I grew up in the 90s, so I've waited longer for a dial-up modem to connect me to a shit internet than I did for a website to process a queue of 9000 people to allow me to book a vaccine at any of thousands of centres across England.

Perspective and patience. Yeah, it crashed a few times, but I refreshed and all was good. Vaccine tomorrow!

Newrunner29 · 13/12/2021 22:29

@ihatefacemasks

To answer a few:

I live in a city. The next city is the one where I have been, until today, offered a booster. The next city is 50 miles away and the venue is not accessible via public transport (currently not allowed to drive due to a health condition).

I had a 'book your booster' text several weeks ago. I have been trying ever since. Today was just taking the biscuit.

I didn't book one because I had a million other things to do, including dealing with a child who has MH issues as a direct result of lockdown, and I was so pissed off that I started a thread on MN instead.

Tried my local place as a walk-in this evening (caught a bus that went well out of my way to do so). They told me to go away and book online.

Ha, bloody ha.

Yes, I am impatient, and I know I'll get one eventually. It just pisses me off that we're all being told to do it, and then it's so bloody impossible!

I get it must be super fustrating but ur last point about everyone being told to get one u must understand why its not going to be super quick if everyone is trying to do same thing, its not a shock or surprise surely