Covid vaccination

[Sue]

A friend of mine (over seventy) just messaged me to ask why I was asked to go to Guy's/St Thomas's when he and other people he knows had been called for the jab to the Tessa Jowell Centre.

I have absolutely no idea and considering he lives in Nunhead and I'm a lot nearer the TJC than he is, I'm a bit put out, as I'd obviously rather have avoided having to use public transport.

Apparently this was via his GP in Forest Hill Road.

However when he phoned to make the appointment, after trying for three hours, he was told they had run out of vaccine and to try again after 1pm on Friday 🙄

I suggested he try before then as they will have told everybody that and he will be stuck in a queue again.

[Sue]

Lynne Wrote:

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> Had my jab at Guys yesterday as a result of

> persistently trying that number. Didn't help that

> the train from ED Station was cancelled, but still

> got there in time. Very efficient considering how

> busy everyone was (unlike the train service)

Damn, I completely forgot I could have gone to Guys on the train!

So used to getting the 40 in the halcyon days when it still went to London Bridge!

[Pugwash]

A friend who is around 80 went for her jab at Tessa Jowell Centre on Monday = arranged by Burbage Road surgery.

[Sue]

Pugwash Wrote:

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> A friend who is around 80 went for her jab at

> Tessa Jowell Centre on Monday = arranged by

> Burbage Road surgery.

If that's Elm Lodge surgery (at the Herne Hill end of Burbage Road) they don't seem to have arranged mine,so far as I can see, so I am mystified!

[hammerman]

beejay Wrote:

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> Was told by a neighbour that guys hospital are

> giving vaccinations to anyone who phones them,

> apparently lots of people are not turning up for

> their covid jabs and Guys say they will go to

> waste, also from what i have been told a minister

> from a church in Peckham has been told to pass

> message onto her congregation, not sure how much

> of this is true.

Maybe it is true (that people are not turning up for their covid jabs). If it is true then more fool them.

Just heard back today from my family members GP surgery that they will get the jab sometime next week. Family member is severely disabled and housebound (87) but in my neighbourhood they seem to have concentrated on fit and able over 80s who can be taken or travel on transport to the appointments in King's College or the Tessa Jowell Centre.

After phoning for info my family members surgery phoned me today to say they have to wait for 12 housebound people in the area to be given the jab on the same day as they don't want to waste the vaccine.

Fingers crossed it happens next week.

[Sue]

Just come back from my jab at St Thomas's.

Was at the hospital nearly three hours.

Massive queue even to get a seat in the waiting area, and an even more massive queue all round the North Wing to get into the other vaccination centre (Which confusingly was where I thought I was booked into).

It was all very organised, but I did think it was a bit odd that they were sterilising all the seats in the waiting area prior to each use, but not in the area where you have to wait your fifteen minutes afterwards. The jab doesn't take effect as soon as you've had it!

I had the Pfizer vaccine.

I understand that they are trying to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible, but I don't know why they gave me a fifteen minute slot and asked me to arrive no more than five minutes before it.

Luckily I had a book with me, but it would have been nice to have had some prior warning of the likely wait time!

[ianr]

That must have been quite vexing. I'm wondering why the surge in numbers, whether it was just in response to the need speed things up to help meet the government deadline, or maybe tied up in any way with the vaccine life cycle. Iirc, they have only about five days of usage after dilution. And the batch size is in the 995-1200 doses range.

[Sue]

ianr Wrote:

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> That must have been quite vexing. I'm wondering

> why the surge in numbers, whether it was just in

> response to the need speed things up to help meet

> the government deadline, or maybe tied up in any

> way with the vaccine life cycle. Iirc, they have

> only about five days of usage after dilution. And

> the batch size is in the 995-1200 doses range.

I overheard one of the staff say they were just trying to fit as many people in as possible.

Which is completely understandable, I just wish I had known beforehand.

I didn't complain, I was just glad to be there at all, but I heard other people getting apologies.

[Nigello]

https://www.hsj.co.uk/coronavirus/hospital-offered-covid-jabs-on-demand-for-several-weeks/7029346.article

[hammerman]

Thanks for posting that Nigello!

All very worrying, as it seems Guys and St Thomas hospital have lost track of the people they should be vaccinating! Looks like they've already vaccinated under 75s but not the age group they should have. I suddenly got a text for my family member yesterday to make an appointment for their vaccination at Guys but the line is constantly engaged. This is on top of my family members GP assuring me they will get the vaccine next week sometime at home as family member is housebound.

[Sue]

My sister-in-law is in her forties, and in the extremely vulnerable group.

She lives in Hertfordshire, but had her jab at St Thomas's last week.

She thinks she was called to have it there because she is an out patient there.

If you were to look at her you probably wouldn't think she was ill, but in fact she is very ill.

I think we need to remember that this isn't just about age.

BTW you don't need to phone to make an appointment if you get a text. You can click on a link in the text and make an appointment immediately that way, which is what I did. It took about five minutes to make the appointments for both jabs (you go through a screening process first).

ETA: It is not surprising the phone lines are constantly engaged with so many people phoning!

[intexasatthe moment]

Sue I had two texts from GTTS ( I'm an outpatient)and tried to contact them to say that I was already booked at Tessa Jowell .I don't have a smart phone but typed the link into my laptop browser but had no luck .

When I got through on the phone they said they weren't able to delete people from their system and to ignore the texts

[Sue]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

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> Sue I had two texts from GTTS ( I'm an

> outpatient)and tried to contact them to say that I

> was already booked at Tessa Jowell .I don't have a

> smart phone but typed the link into my laptop

> browser but had no luck .

>

> When I got through on the phone they said they

> weren't able to delete people from their system

> and to ignore the texts

Fair enough, I guess the text booking system is only set up for people with smart phones.

And you can only use it to actually book an appointment, not for contacting them about anything else.

[Sue]

How annoying. Just been phoned from Kings rheumatology department to offer me the vaccine. Would have been much more convenient than St Thomas's 😭

You would have thought there would be a central database of who had had it, wouldn't you?

[muffins78]

I?ve had a text from kings today - initially thought it was linked to my DMC text, but actually they?re not. So I?m guessing until you have the vaccine and are ticked off in some system, you could be invited by whoever may have your details. Kings definitely would be more convenient - but fortunate to have it done too :)

[pinkladybird]

Does anyone know whether the vaccine at the Tessa Jowell Centre is Pfizer or Oxford/AstraZeneca?

[hammerman]

Not sure whether it's the Pfizer or Oxford vaccine, but they are doing everything to keep everyone safe surely? I just wish my family member (87) could travel to the centre to get their jab but after being told they will receive a home visit jab this week, it's now moved forward to next week. Fingers crossed this will go ahead.

[colville09]

I think the answer is both, we had Oxford on Sunday but my friend had Pfizer there the week before. I presume it is about supplies available at the time.

[DulwichFox]

The Original Schedule for Vaccination

85 and over

80 and Over

75 and over

70 and over

After that the situation is not clear.

65 and over ??? now replaced with Vulnerable and all key workers..

I am 68 .. 69 in April I am registered as Diabetic and have Asthma . Does that make me Vulnerable ??

Foxy

[Penguin68]

No DF - your list isn't correct - Tier 4 is those over 70 and under 75 and those clinically very vulnerable - i.e. those asked to shield, I believe, 65 and over. Tier 1 also includes I think NHS front-line staff and those in care homes and care home staff. It is confusing as the Tiers have changed - and I think the age criteria is a single one at the top of over 80.

Tier 6 was showing as "All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality" but I think some at least of these have been taken back into Tier 4. Tier 5 is for those over 65, and Tier 7 those over 60.

The government hopes that all those over 50 will be offered vaccinations by the end of March, and the whole adult population by September.

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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>

> I am 68 .. 69 in April I am registered as

> Diabetic and have Asthma . Does that make me

> Vulnerable ??

If you were classified as extremely vulnerable you would be on the shielding list and be getting letters accordingly.

If you aren't sure, you should ask your GP, but this article gives a list of conditions, if you scroll down:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

I don't think asthma counts unless it is very severe.

[Pugwash]

I had my jab at TJ centre today. I was called by my GP surgery on Monday and given a time of 12.35 to be at TJC. Got there about 12.25 and joined queue to book in. Was given a card plus a number. When your number was called, you went up to the 1st floor and seen by someone who asked various questions and booked you in again on the computer. Then taken to the waiting area until your number was called out.

Very efficient at all stages - with all the waiting was out around 2 pm. Long initial wait at first booking in as a lady in front was not listed and had just turned up. She was asked to sit aside whilst everyone else was processed. Later saw the same lady upstairs and gather from discussion that she thought the downstairs reception was for her GP.

Everyone after their jab had to make a further booking for the follow up jab.

[muffins78]

That?s good to know re the process, it does seem quick given all the stages. I?ll let you know what the Kings one is like on Friday.

It feels a little surreal after so long, if that makes sense...

[Sue]

Following the phone call from their rheumatology department, when I told them I'd already had the jab at St Thomas's, I've just now had a text from Kings, saying they are inviting "specified patients" to have the jab there, and to ignore the text if an appointment is already booked with my GP or another hospital.

They then give an email address to which you have to respond with your details - which include your KCH hospital number (if known) but not your NHS number.

This all seems like a terrible waste of admin resources. Surely there must be/should be a central database? No?

I'm waiting for a call from my GP now ... 🙄

[Peckhampam]

I'm sure there are no admin resources involved. I would think each facility just sends out an email to its database with one push of a button. And I can't see how there could possibly be a central database. How do you envisage that being set up? Maybe you should just be pleased that it looks like no-one is going to get overlooked and many are getting a choice of what is convenient for them.