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Scotsnet

Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Under 50's vaccines

408 replies

emmathedilemma · 06/04/2021 17:41

Does anyone know what's happening up here for the age groups under 50 (who don't fall into the carers / underlying health conditions etc that have already been done)?
I read that NHS England weren't planning to start them before May due to supply issues and to enable them to keep up with second doses but I haven't seen anything relating to Scotland. The BBC website just has all age groups under 50 defined as "by the end of July". The omni queue calculator reckons first dose for age 40+ between 10th & 19th April but I suspect that's fake news.
Has anyone under 50 had an invite yet??
I'm getting impatient now!!

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StooriMidori · 20/05/2021 22:50

@JackRabbitSlimsTwistContest I agree you should use the missing letter link that's posted upthread to check. My friends aged 36 and 37 are booked for first week in June. They got their appt details via that link but don't have letters yet. Mine is on Monday (I'm 40) and I only got my letter yesterday!

I will accept what's offered but am in the same boat as PP who feel anxious about AZ given I'm only a few months over the age cutoff. Has anyone who is 40 or over requested not to have AZ? If so, what was your experience? Are they likely to say tough tits, it's AZ or nothing?

JackRabbitSlimsTwistContest · 21/05/2021 09:08

Are all under 40’s in Scotland receiving a non AZ alternative now ?

SoMuchForSummerLove · 21/05/2021 10:52

@JackRabbitSlimsTwistContest

Are Scotland really behind or something ? We still don’t have any letters 38 & 39.

Sick reading that England is now inviting 34 plus to book theirs online.

None of our friendship circle have been invited yet either , same age bracket.

No, we're really not. I wonder if it's a perception thing; what gets shared in the media tends to be England-centric so all we hear about is what's happening there. But just because people can book online there, doesn't seem to be making a huge difference to the rate at which appointments are actually happening.
Under 50's vaccines
Puddock1 · 21/05/2021 11:07

How is everyone getting on in the Highlands with vaccine invitations? I'm 42 and nothing so far. I've submitted an online enquiry form twice now and been been told there's no appointment in the system for me. This is apparently getting investigated further but I've yet to hear back. Tried calling the helpline but gave up when I was told I was #71 in the queue!

prettybird · 21/05/2021 11:45

I remember noticing that Matt Hancock complaining commenting in the HoP that the last cluster was because people who were eligible to be vaccinated had not been vaccinated. That's actually different to "having been invited to be vaccinated" and refusing to do so Confused

It assumes that people are able to get on-line or phone to arrange an appointment. Or have the language skills to do so. Not that everyone is being sent invitations and turning them down/not showing up (which was the implication if you weren't listening carefully Hmm)

Grellbunt · 21/05/2021 12:12

I requested it, they said no, that I could rebook but no gtee of brand so I'd need to keep turning up and then take pot luck. She hinted that this might only be possible a certain number of times and I would have to wait ages. It is true I can't see brand and it's weeks til next appointment. So really inefficient and I feel coerced.

I actually have had it with very mild symptoms so I am not worried about the virus but I just refuse to take AZ when there is an alternative out there. Really disappointed in their inflexibility.

Grellbunt · 21/05/2021 12:14

Another friend in the same boat was told by her GP that GPs also cannot influence it.

colourchanginglipstick · 21/05/2021 12:35

That sounds similar to my experience too Grellbunt. Was so frustrating they were even giving our pfizer in my centre on that day too! DH is 39 and goes for his at the weekend so be interesting to see if he does get one of the others.

Ecthelion · 21/05/2021 12:37

@Puddock1: I phoned this morning and was 106th in the queue but it only took 5 minutes until I got through. The person I spoke to agreed that I should have had an appointment scheduled by now (I'm 37) and generated one for me on the phone there and then. Might be worth calling again and waiting.

PufferFishGoneWrong · 21/05/2021 12:54

@JackRabbitSlimsTwistContest

Are Scotland really behind or something ? We still don’t have any letters 38 & 39.

Sick reading that England is now inviting 34 plus to book theirs online.

None of our friendship circle have been invited yet either , same age bracket.

I'm 38/9 and a few people in our team are below 35 who got their letters yesterday the same day as me. Same healthboard, different counties.
PufferFishGoneWrong · 21/05/2021 12:56

[quote StooriMidori]@JackRabbitSlimsTwistContest I agree you should use the missing letter link that's posted upthread to check. My friends aged 36 and 37 are booked for first week in June. They got their appt details via that link but don't have letters yet. Mine is on Monday (I'm 40) and I only got my letter yesterday!

I will accept what's offered but am in the same boat as PP who feel anxious about AZ given I'm only a few months over the age cutoff. Has anyone who is 40 or over requested not to have AZ? If so, what was your experience? Are they likely to say tough tits, it's AZ or nothing?[/quote]
Our local health board has confirmed anyone under 40 is getting Pfizer.

PufferFishGoneWrong · 21/05/2021 12:57

Sorry meant that reply for @JackRabbitSlimsTwistContest

Grellbunt · 21/05/2021 13:13

They didn't have anything else there that day. Your experience suggests that I wouldn't have been able to persuade them even if they'd had an alternative. Hmmm.

Puddock1 · 21/05/2021 14:33

Thanks @Ecthelion. I'll phone back this afternoon. Glad you got your appointment ☺️

emmathedilemma · 21/05/2021 14:52

So we're not behind @SoMuchForSummerLove but my brother who's more than 5 years younger than me gets his today in England and mine isn't until next week in Scotland and my peers in England had theirs at the start of May Confused

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SoMuchForSummerLove · 21/05/2021 15:29

I assume it's to do with how vaccines were rolled out in the first place; we had a slow start as we vaccinated all care homes etc first. I guess the same thing is playing out again with the second dose.

JackRabbitSlimsTwistContest · 21/05/2021 15:39

Thanks @PufferFishGoneWrong

randomsabreuse · 21/05/2021 15:39

The difference is that motivated and tech literate people in England are getting their vaccines quicker than their peers (and ahead of those who aren't that bothered) but the Scottish roll out has been more thorough, which could be why we haven't had the big upswing in hospitalisation seen in Bolton where people who were eligible some time ago (but haven't taken up their opportunity) have been hospitalised...

SoMuchForSummerLove · 21/05/2021 16:39

Here's the local data so you can see how far your area has got as a percentage, if anyone is interested.

Under 50's vaccines
emmathedilemma · 21/05/2021 17:19

That must be missing the bottom half of the table as it only shows the local authorities above the national average?

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ChrisQuean · 21/05/2021 20:09

I think what @randomsabreuse says is correct. The Scottish system is literally more systematic, thorough and less likely to leave people behind and has been successful. Especially initially, with elderly and vulnerable people and healthcare workers going first, the Scottish system was effective.

Now though, it’s all over the place and there is a great big void of information. Motivated people like us Mumsnetters are champing at the bit to get vaccinated and the system is creaking. Meanwhile, Lothian are throwing away vaccines (old flatmate is a vaccinator) because in some instances only 30% of people are turning up. There are a lot of reasons why or why not people don’t show, but allowing the younger cohorts to book initially or change appointments on line must improve matters. We have young kids and often have full time jobs. Sending me a randomly generated appointment by letter (which often haven’t been arriving) for an appointment at school pick up time, miles away isn’t helpful or efficient.

DH is 48 and a (nonNHS) key worker, yet his initial allocated appointment was 28 May (Lothian). Compare with his best friend from school in London who booked on-line using the English system as soon as it opened and was vaccinated on 17 April. That’s six weeks difference despite both being super keen, tech literate and “eligible” at the same time.

SoMuchForSummerLove · 21/05/2021 20:25

@emmathedilemma

That must be missing the bottom half of the table as it only shows the local authorities above the national average?
I never noticed! I snipped the full table that was on screen. It's on travelling tabby if you want to have a look.
ResilienceWanker · 21/05/2021 21:34

I agree with random and chris. I think the letter approach has been thorough up til now, and worked for people who were able to plan their days around the appointment (non working people, no time-limited caring responsibilities, possibly furloughed or WFH with understanding employers). However, now it's moving onto younger people, and school/ work/ extra curricular stuff is more normal, I think they will have lots more difficulty pinning people down to their pre-allocated times/ dates/venues. Especially given increasing vaccine hesitancy in younger people and so on, who may not bother rearranging inappropriate appointments. I'd hope these would be followed up later on, but it does seem a bit inefficient.

Lothian in particular seems to have plumped for this random vaccine "hub" approach, rather than using local surgeries, community centres or libraries as other health boards have. So there are half a dozen huge venues scattered across the Health board area, and people are randomly allocated one. At least one is drive-through so if you're allocated that one and you don't have access to a car, tough - you're told to rearrange it online, but it seems hit or miss whether you can get slots anywhere else. There are local vaccine clinics, but you can't get an appointment there if you're relatively healthy, young and mobile.

I've been looking into travelling to my appointment next week (44, Edinburgh). It's the other side of the city to our home, but at least there's a bus to it. I will board the bus outside our local vaccine clinic, pass another vaccine hub en route and reach my designated venue in just over an hour (40 mins before my appt...) It's fine for me as DH can cover school pick up, but really... couldn't something more efficient be sorted?!

tiredoftiers · 21/05/2021 22:47

I think they'll also run into issues as things have opened up so people are not necessarily at their home addresses and the letters are sent out on a tight time frame.
Certainly it makes a difference accessing your appointment in advance so that you know when it is, and can plan accordingly. Vaccines need to be in arm, and at the moment I would say any arm adds to benefit to the greater good. Why on earth are the appointments available to access online but the letters haven't been sent out? I agree with the method used initially, but now I think they need to abandon ship.
Btw you can now access your vaccine history ( vaccine history) on NHS inform and download a copy of your vaccine history.

emmathedilemma · 22/05/2021 13:27

That’s exactly why I rang when I did @tiredoftiers because I was planning to be away for a few nights and wanted to make sure I didn’t miss it. Also, I have signed for electronic NHS letters but still receive them by post Confused

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