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Covid

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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:

thewhatsit · 14/12/2021 06:41

That’s really bad. Why would a walk in tell you to go away and book?

And there are NO pharmacies in your city offering it? I’m in London, so spoilt by choice I guess, and I have about 5 options that are easily walkable (1.5 miles or less). I know it’s not the same everywhere but Boots are doing them and half of pharmacies seem to be doing them, why would some cities have been excluded?

WotgunShedding · 14/12/2021 06:49

I booked it online and was 10000 something in the queue. It did crash a a few times in the booking process but I kept refreshing the page and it was fine. Took about 5 minutes to clear the queu

WotgunShedding · 14/12/2021 06:49

Queue!

trevthecat · 14/12/2021 06:50

@Stevenage689

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!

Hahaha this!

RachelTheRedNosedReindeer · 14/12/2021 06:53

I'm 38 and not CV. I am having mine today!

Yes, the website is shit, but you just have to wait it out and book.

If you don't want it, that's another issue and ultimately up to you.

PieMistee · 14/12/2021 06:56

Have you asked at the pharmacies best you? Two in walking distance my house are doing walk-ins.

nether · 14/12/2021 06:56

You sad you'd been trying for 14 days, so you must have had your second jab much later than when they opened for the CEV

Yes, third jab roll out has been a shambles, especially for the critically CEV

The only message is to keep trying, and (veteran of many jab-booking wars here)

It's very frustrating, and the real shambles (including things like Javid's apparent lie) never seems to be noticed

PieMistee · 14/12/2021 06:56

Best= near

whyohwhyohwhyohwhywhy · 14/12/2021 06:56

Not everywhere is accepting walk ins, is probably why she was turned away. I understand a lot of capacity is about to come online. Patience is where it is at.

rainrainraincamedowndowndown · 14/12/2021 06:58

It's just bad timing. You could have made a appointment without problem few weeks ago. Now after the announcement, so many people are trying at the same time which is causing the problem.

redferrari · 14/12/2021 06:59

It's badly managed. Annoyingly my appointment booked on the first day 40+ opened up was canceled, but I managed to find a walk in centre. The booking site also has a link to find the nearest walk in centers. Try a few post codes around 2/3 miles to find one.

Lulu1919 · 14/12/2021 07:01

I feel your pain
I'm 53
Had last jab early June
Booked my booster for Dec 17 th ...booked it as soon as I could via the NHS site ..at a local chemist
Sunday the NHS sent me a text cancelling it ,.no reason given advised me to go to NHS web site and re book
Web site won't allow me to ..it's as if the site doesn't know my booking has been cancelled
Rang 119 ..poor chap tried to help but half an hour later he couldn't offer me anything ...nearest walk in was a 4 hour round trip and he couldn't guarantee I'd get one !!!
It's crazy

Manteo · 14/12/2021 07:02

There is nothing in my town when I try to book, the nearest places have no slots until 7th January and the nearest walk in centre is a half an hour drive away and only open 9-5 when I'm at work. I'm waiting for a text from my GP to book one locally, no idea how lon this will take.

rrhuth · 14/12/2021 07:02

@GoldenOmber

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!

Agree. Lots of cunts having a go at people but a million per day is a tall order.

ginnig · 14/12/2021 07:05

The only booking i can get is early Jan. The local walk in centre had a 3 hr queue yesterday. I work & have small dc so I'm limited when I can queue. Will try one evening this week.

MrsJackWhicher · 14/12/2021 07:07

This is so odd. My DC (aged 23) got a text last Saturday from the GP and was boosted on Sunday

ginnig · 14/12/2021 07:08

I'm certainly not doing it on xmas day!

Watchingyouwazowski · 14/12/2021 07:22

I have been remarkably lucky with this situation. I received a text on Saturday to say I was eligible for my booster. Booked it last night for the end of December at my local centre.
I’d give it a week or so to see if the panic dies down.

UnaOfStormhold · 14/12/2021 07:27

It does seem to vary hugely by location. I am booked in for bang on 6 months but have been trying to bring it forward since they said that was possible for over 40s without success. Finally got in through the queue but first date available was
in January and even later than my current appointment. The walk in centres near me don't do boosters and the nearest that does is 53 miles away which is too far when there's no guarantee of getting done.

The booster rollout has been such a mess and opening it up tomorrow to under 30s seems premature when so many older people are still trying to get boosted as mentioned up thread. I have been wondering if I can volunteer - I'm not a medic but I think they still need unskilled people.

Stuffin · 14/12/2021 07:28

I am late 40s and my 6 months after second dose was at the beginning of December and I made sure I got an appointment as soon as the website said I could book when they opened them up to under 50s because it was obvious to me that they were heading towards asking everyone to book.

KatherineJaneway · 14/12/2021 07:29

Public transport to the next city then taxi rest of the way?

JustDanceAddict · 14/12/2021 07:30

I’m over 50 and had mine 2 weeks ago. Booked it as soon as I could.
There are def walk-ins about or just persevere

ginnig · 14/12/2021 07:36

Surely age makes a difference? I'm late 30s so only recently became eligible.

lifeinlimbo2020 · 14/12/2021 07:37

We have a walk in centre which, even this week, only takes half an hour start to finish and I booked my sons second jab last night online. I was 8000+ in the queue and it took me five minutes to get to the 'front'. Really seems quite easy where I live but maybe I'm lucky.

lap90 · 14/12/2021 07:41

I've found it easier to go to walk ins for both my first and second dose and now booster. I've never booked online. Tbh, I'd have probably had to wait longer if i went via the online system, where as I got boosted last week with no issues (early 30s).

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