Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Anyone work/volunteer at a vaccination centre?

31 replies

CraftyGin · 29/01/2022 14:19

And if so, what is your traffic like?

I am a volunteer marshal and our throughput is now tiny. We have reduced the number of days we open. It is quite heartbreaking, as there are at least 20 workers on site (all but 4 volunteers are paid employees).

I am in Surrey. Wonder what it is like in other parts of the country.

OP posts:
StarCat2020 · 29/01/2022 14:49

Why is it heartbreaking?

Are you not quiet because nearly everyone near you has been vaccinated?

If that is why you are quiet then you should be proud of your great work!

Original poster
CraftyGin · 29/01/2022 15:00

Thank you, Star Cat, and great questions :)

OP posts:
HesterShaw1 · 29/01/2022 15:01

My mum has worked in a vaccination centre since last summer. It has got much quieter lately and she is down to 2 x 4 hour shifts a week.

Nearly everyone who wants them have had their jabs. That's not heartbreaking. It's good.

ThelmaDinkley · 29/01/2022 15:04

I work in one. It’s a lot quieter for sure but still have a lot of walk ins and now a lot of NHS staff.

MaybeHeIsMyCat · 29/01/2022 15:06

I had my 4th vaccine yesterday and was the only one there!

CornishYarg · 29/01/2022 15:07

The centre I volunteered at closed in mid Jan. We were crazy busy in December then demand dropped really fast. It just wasn't worth the vaccinators, staff and volunteers waiting around all day when there were only about 20 people a day booked in plus a few walk ins. There are a couple of centres still open not too far away.

Our district has one of the highest % vaccinated and boosted in the county apparently, so all the December rush was worth it.

londonmummy1966 · 29/01/2022 15:09

Yes - we were doing 4 figures a day before Christmas and now only just scraping into 3. I think that there are a number of reasons.

  1. Lots of people got their booster as soon as they could before Christmas partly due to wanting to travel and partly due to concerns over Omicron.
  2. Lots of people got Omicron last month. Some will still be in the 28 day no vaccination period and others will see their infection as a "boost" in itself and delay getting their next jab by a few weeks when the protection starts to wane (seems sensible to me)

However we are now seeing more people coming in for their first doses and very delayed seconds so I do think that the message is slowly getting through.

WhatsitWiggle · 29/01/2022 15:10

I haven't had a shift since after Christmas as demand dropped so much. The centre only opens 3 days a week now, and Saturday is a half day, so 2.5 days really. In December, it was 6 full days plus Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.

I'm in Sussex.

I'm guessing they'll close the centres soon and transfer any remaining vaccine needs to GPs or hospitals. Which makes sense, no point paying site lead, clinical lead, admin and vaccinators to sit around doing nothing.

Just feels a bit sad to be going out with a whimper, I'd felt a great camaraderie with my fellow volunteers.

Redcrayons · 29/01/2022 15:11

Heartbreaking? Isn’t it good news that you’re less busy now, as so many have been done?

Original poster
CraftyGin · 29/01/2022 15:22

@WhatsitWiggle

I haven't had a shift since after Christmas as demand dropped so much. The centre only opens 3 days a week now, and Saturday is a half day, so 2.5 days really. In December, it was 6 full days plus Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.

I'm in Sussex.

I'm guessing they'll close the centres soon and transfer any remaining vaccine needs to GPs or hospitals. Which makes sense, no point paying site lead, clinical lead, admin and vaccinators to sit around doing nothing.

Just feels a bit sad to be going out with a whimper, I'd felt a great camaraderie with my fellow volunteers.

Sounds very similar to us. We have Saturday and Sunday 8 - 2, as well as a couple of evenings.

I was thinking we might have a bit of a surge from those who had Omicron in December, and also reticents who want to go on holiday in the summer.

We have our building until the end of March, and they will then have to find a more distant centre of GP/hospital.

The camaraderie has been amazing. Everyone there is happy to be doing what they are doing, and everyone is 'super nice'.

OP posts:
GeidiPrimes · 29/01/2022 15:25

@CraftyGin

Thank you, Star Cat, and great questions :)
This is an odd response OP, you sound like a bot Grin
Muchtoomuchtodo · 29/01/2022 15:29

I worked at at large MVC in Wales yesterday.

It was quieter than my other shifts but we still had a lot of people coming in for their first doses as well as second and boosters.

After 3.30pm it gets busier as more school aged children come in. There will have been queues through the evening as a result but staff are switched between Moderna and Pfizer sections according to demand.

From today they are starting to vaccinate the 5-11’s who are more vulnerable themselves, or live with someone who is more vulnerable so they’re likely to take a bit more time than adults.

AlexandraEiffel · 29/01/2022 15:51

It's not unexpected that it's less busy though, is it? I'm not involved, but my understanding from the outside was there was a big pre Xmas/early jan push which will of course ended now. The GP I know said they'd hit their target pre Xmas so were done and going back to other stuff. Everyone I know went straight out and got their booster when they could. So I wouldn't expect the numbers to be the same now.

I can imagine it's sad though, tailing off now after what must have been an incredibly full on experience. Thank you so much for your part in getting those vaccines out.

Original poster
CraftyGin · 29/01/2022 15:59

I've just looked up the data. 61.8% have had their boosters in our area. Not great.

OP posts:
Abra1d1 · 29/01/2022 16:02

Very quiet where we are. Shifts drastically cut. I thought it might be because so many in their 20s had omicron. I wonder if there’ll be a surge in boosters once the 28 days are up but that’s not happening yet.

Boofay · 29/01/2022 16:04

My daughter (16) had her booster mid Jan. it was quite busy. Not December busy but still busy.

Wellbythebloodyhell · 29/01/2022 16:06

I'm in NW, our clinics have gone from 8am-10pm most days before Christmas to half day clinics once or twice a week now, all clinics are walk ins and available to age 12+ but the demand really has dropped off dramatically

Theeyeballsinthesky · 29/01/2022 16:12

I help co ordinate volunteers in the south west and demand has plummeted. Most GPS have cancelled their clinics and the mass vaccination centre is doing about 200 ppl a day. Take up of boosters is only around 50% so a very large % of ppl are not triple vaccinated.

I feel sorry for the volunteers who have given so much time & now feel very unwanted :/

MaybeHeIsMyCat · 29/01/2022 17:47

You would have thought there would still be some demand
Just looked up vaccines in my area

Anyone work/volunteer at a vaccination centre?
XenoBitch · 29/01/2022 17:49

@Theeyeballsinthesky

I help co ordinate volunteers in the south west and demand has plummeted. Most GPS have cancelled their clinics and the mass vaccination centre is doing about 200 ppl a day. Take up of boosters is only around 50% so a very large % of ppl are not triple vaccinated.

I feel sorry for the volunteers who have given so much time & now feel very unwanted :/

The volunteers were always destined to no longer be needed at some point. Surely soon, the centres/hubs will be closed too.
Overthebow · 29/01/2022 18:02

I don’t understand why it’s heartbreaking or why people feel sorry for the volunteers and staff. They did the job that was needed which was much appreciated by everyone and now it’s not needed anymore which was always going to happen.

tinkerbellsays · 29/01/2022 18:08

Would I be able to get some advice please? I'm late to the party due to ongoing therapy for needle phobia, I was fortunate enough to have my 1st at my GP with the nurse I've been working with for exposure therapy as they we're running Vax clinics so happened to have some surplus Vax for her to give me.... now it's time for my 2nd and sadly, the GP are unable to offer it to me this time so I need to go to a hub. I am terrified, the nurse did me in the GP car park in the evening so it was dark so I saw nothing 1st time around so I know how privileged I was, but the phobia is still here and very real. Just wanted some advice about the big hubs if possible to put my anxiety in check to get this 2nd one done! Thankyou xx

XenoBitch · 29/01/2022 18:52

@tinkerbellsays

Would I be able to get some advice please? I'm late to the party due to ongoing therapy for needle phobia, I was fortunate enough to have my 1st at my GP with the nurse I've been working with for exposure therapy as they we're running Vax clinics so happened to have some surplus Vax for her to give me.... now it's time for my 2nd and sadly, the GP are unable to offer it to me this time so I need to go to a hub. I am terrified, the nurse did me in the GP car park in the evening so it was dark so I saw nothing 1st time around so I know how privileged I was, but the phobia is still here and very real. Just wanted some advice about the big hubs if possible to put my anxiety in check to get this 2nd one done! Thankyou xx
There are a few people with needle phobia on this board who have managed to get vaccinated at a hub. The stewards are pretty good at picking up on any signs of anxiety when you are waiting to go in. They can fast track you in and have you see someone in a private booth with a bed etc. Good luck.
Footnote · 29/01/2022 19:03

I can understand being sad if you’ve worked so hard and uptake is low.

Original poster
CraftyGin · 29/01/2022 19:11

@tinkerbellsays

Would I be able to get some advice please? I'm late to the party due to ongoing therapy for needle phobia, I was fortunate enough to have my 1st at my GP with the nurse I've been working with for exposure therapy as they we're running Vax clinics so happened to have some surplus Vax for her to give me.... now it's time for my 2nd and sadly, the GP are unable to offer it to me this time so I need to go to a hub. I am terrified, the nurse did me in the GP car park in the evening so it was dark so I saw nothing 1st time around so I know how privileged I was, but the phobia is still here and very real. Just wanted some advice about the big hubs if possible to put my anxiety in check to get this 2nd one done! Thankyou xx
We would be able to jab you away from everyone else.
OP posts: