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Original poster

Dear fellow MNers, there seems to be no point stressing about whether to have the vaccine or not

26 replies

Georgimama · 29/12/2010 12:16

because no one has got any. Our GP surgery doesn't have any and won't for 3 weeks. The vaccination clinics at local pharmacies are apparently not allowed to give it to pregnant women. The only way to get it is apparently to make an appointment with my GP (earliest available one week) get a prescription, go to pharmacy, collect vaccine, get another appointment with GP and get him to administer it.

There aren't enough Hmms in the world to explain how fucking stupid that sounds. What a bloody waste of money.

OP posts:
OhYouSnowySnowyKitten · 29/12/2010 13:03

astonishing!!!! clearly if that is the case in many places then the health minister is living in some sort of alternate reality. The conspiracy side of me wonders if thats why there isnt an advertising campaign.

Original poster
Georgimama · 29/12/2010 13:08

To top that belter I've just been told by a GP receptionist that I should have had it in September when they put out a call to pregnant women to come and get the vaccine. If I had actually been pregnant in September, perhaps I would have been included....

And I can't get it by yo yoing between pharmacy and GP because they don't have it anyway.

OP posts:
onimolap · 29/12/2010 13:18

You might like to try ringing your PCT: GP services co-ordinator, Immunization co-ordinator or via general enquiries. You should get info on where jab is available, and register the point about schedule deadlines and the newly pregnant.

Word of warning - it's really unlikely you'll get through to the right person first time; good luck.

Original poster
Georgimama · 29/12/2010 13:24

I have. It was them who gave me all the duff advice to go to a pharmacy or another GP surgery, neither of which are permitted. But thanks for the suggestion, I realise I didn't put in the OP I had tried the PCT.

OP posts:
BelleDameSansMerci · 29/12/2010 14:44

One might suppose this is the result of cost cutting, if one were of a cynical bent...

shopan · 29/12/2010 18:57

This is terrible!! It seems so stupid and it changes regionally.

Ds asthma has been bad this winter so we decided after much thought to get ds immunized.
We phoned up our surgery this morning, they told us to pop in after 2.30pm and aske to see a nurse. We did this and they gave him the jab there and then. When we first checked in they asked if dh and I wanted it too!!! we said no as we are not in the at risk group.
It is amazing how easy it was to get - but then sad that others that really need it arent get it.

bubbleymummy · 29/12/2010 23:51

You're probably better off anyway. The risk has been totally blown out of proportion. If you don't normally get the flu vaccine then why bother with this year's simply because the media is chasing every swine flu case across the country.

OhYouSnowySnowyKitten · 30/12/2010 20:51

perhaps bubbleymummy people should bother because despite not having reached epidemic levels (yet?) there are 738 cases reported to be in critical care beds which is around 20% of critical care beds available.

Compare that to July 2009 at the peak of the first wave of h1n1 when there were 63 in critical care and November 2009 when there were 173 in critical care.

The strain on critical care must be enormous.

toeragsnotriches · 30/12/2010 20:56

Mmm our GP has also run out. Heard someone on the news saying there is enough vaccine stockpiled but it was individual practice's fault for not ordering enough...

bubbleymummy · 31/12/2010 00:14

Do you want to link to those figures ohyousnowykitten? Most doctors (and the hpa iirc) are saying this is the average for flu season - it's just not usually reported by the media as much.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 31/12/2010 01:06

Guardian mention 738 figure and imply it's from the HPA (who should have had a weekly press release out today, although it's not on their website yet).

BBC reported 63 in critical care in July 2009

Discussion of rates here by Fergus Walsh.

OhYouSnowySnowyKitten · 31/12/2010 09:46

Thank you ProfLayton :)

graphs comparing this year to other notable years produced by the HPA. Which are interesting for a number of reasons.

bbc also show the 738 figure.

the officially confirmed figure should appear here today.

Its not the number of flu cases that is alarming, flu happens. It is the larger number in critical care, many of whom are outside traditional high risk groups. But that doesnt mean to say we should all be running round panicking. For each individual the strong likelihood is that you won't get severe flu. But it is prudent, if you are pregnant to strongly consider minimising your risk by obtaining a flu vaccine if you can.

bubbleymummy · 31/12/2010 10:45

Thanks for the links.

oyssk - the site you linked to doesn't seem to have updated yet but you can see the info [[http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1287147913387 here

Still within normal for flu season - not at epidemic level. It would be very interesting to see the actual figures for pregnant women. They were available last year and were actually a surprisingly small proportion given all the media coverage about it. I can't seem to find them this year....

Does anyone remember the flu epidemic in 00/01? I can't remember anything about it and yet it was much more serious than the one we have at the moment.

bubbleymummy · 31/12/2010 10:45

[http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1287147913387 here]

bubbleymummy · 31/12/2010 10:46

sigh...

here

GiddyPickle · 31/12/2010 10:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OhYouSnowySnowyKitten · 31/12/2010 11:38

the hpa site doesnt include figures of those in critical care. I have no idea why unless its because timings of reports issued don't coincide well enough.

I do remember the '99/00 flu season. Mostly because we all had flu when the millenium was celebrated. I remember headlines about the nhs struggling then.
I'm struggling to find any data on the numbers in intensive care back then. It would be interesting.

OhYouSnowySnowyKitten · 31/12/2010 11:58

not data but a news report from '00.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 31/12/2010 12:07

If we had swine flu last year are we safer this year?

GiddyPickle · 31/12/2010 12:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bubbleymummy · 31/12/2010 12:28

Yes, the percentage of the younger ones who are dying may be higher than previous seasonal flu but if the numbers of those dying aren't as big then the situation may not be as bad anyway.

eg. 100 people die from swine flu (40% young = 40) vs 1,000 people dying from seasonal flu ( 10% young = 100) Are we getting tied up in these percentages when actually, when you look at the overall figures it isn't as bad.

Ok, hurried post and I'm just plucking these figures from the air but I hope you get my point.

OhYouSnowySnowyKitten · 31/12/2010 14:06

latest guardian article underlines the pressure on hospitals.

OhYouSnowySnowyKitten · 31/12/2010 16:07

738 figure confirmed

Elibean · 31/12/2010 16:17

Shock my friend just walked in to our local pharmacy (small one in SW London) and had a flu jab for £12.

I'm amazed the GP surgeries have run out!

onimolap · 01/01/2011 10:24

That some GP surgeries are running out is the headline story on the front page of today's Daily Mail.