What's happening with vaccines

[SilverGlitterBaubles]

My parents are late 70's and are almost in a depression from lockdown and waiting for a vaccine. Anyone have any idea when this is likely to happen? I am in the UK and at this rate I will be vaccinated before then which seems really wrong I wish there was a way I could allocate my vaccines to them.

Call their GP and ask.

What's happening with vaccines? Not a lot it seems. It's extremely frustrating watching the UK (where I'm from) racing ahead with the vaccination programme while we lag behind here.

I'm very grateful that my elderly parents in the UK have had their vaccine.

Op are your parents not in the uk?

Sorry didn’t have my glasses on - ignore me. I’m sorry it’s not happening for them

My parents are early 70's and my sister is s GP. She's just had her second dose. She did the calculations of when mum and dad would get theirs and it's looking like May. I should get mine in April (30's). I'm a bit gutted for them.

@Firkinhavinalaugh No they are in Ireland

@WishingHopingThinkingPraying That's what DPs are thinking too. For such a small population it seems painfully slow. Hopefully things will pick up soon.

Do they have online booking over there, or do they have to wait for a letter/call/text ?

I believe it’s because Ireland is part of the EU and therefore part of the procurement programme. The UK decided not to join that programme and procured their vaccine - lots been in the press. It’s one of the success stories of Brexit apparently but think all countries could have chosen to procure their own vaccine.

I thought that all over 70s were supposed to have their first vaccination by mid April and the second by mid May?

The GP hub where I am working is onto group 6.
My DH and DS are in this group, but haven’t been invited by their GP’s.

Don't forget also that Ireland decided NOT to give the AZ vaccine to the elderly due to the poor evidence of efficacy in that age group, and to give them the Pfizer and Modena vaccines instead. That introduced some delay while waiting for more stocks of those vaccines, but it was judged worth the wait for the better protection. And Ireland are sticking to the tested gap between doses, and have fully vaccinated (both doses) a higher % of the population than the UK has.

It's apples and oranges comparing here to the UK. They started earlier but are taking a big risk with the huge gap between doses and mixing vaccine types where necessary (e.g. first dose AZ, second dose Pfizer), and using the AZ vaccine for all age groups despite the lack of data. I hope it works out for them but it's an approach other countries (incl Ireland) decided against.

The over 85s are currently being vaccinated and the over 70s are due to get their first doses in March/April (it will vary by GP practice, as they move onto their over 70s when their over 85s are done), with all second doses for the over 70s completed by mid-May.