The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

DigForVictory

Asked my 80+ parents if they’d had their flu shot - not yet, no stocks. Called my pharmacy - they’re running a list but haven’t got it yet. Called my GP, they have clinics & next weekend my husband & I will get our shots. 

Seems the north NHS is being dosed first...
Go on. Phone & ask. Find out when & book if you can.

maryb

Our surgery said on its website they were doing flu jabs and to book online.  But there was no link to book!  So I phoned to be told I was number 30 in the queue.  I did place a call back but it was over two and a half hours later when I got to No 1 in the queue.  Once I did get through I was able to book appointments for self and DH no problem but I wonder how many people would lack the stamina to battle through the system.  Part of the problem is that the doctors are nearly all working remotely so it's phone contact only.  So a massive increase in the number of phone calls but no more staff to field them

Pollybear

I'm 68 and my husband is 71 and we had our flu jabs at the pharmacy yesterday.  No appointment necessary, just walked in and they did them.

Auntycaz

I had my flu jab at the pharmacy today too. My doctors are not doing their flu clinics until Oct/Nov.

littlemoney

maryb said:

Our surgery said on its website they were doing flu jabs and to book online.  But there was no link to book!  So I phoned to be told I was number 30 in the queue.  I did place a call back but it was over two and a half hours later when I got to No 1 in the queue.

If I had to wait that long on the phone it would cost me £20 just to make an appointment as I have no inclusive calls on my phone.

euronorris

The pharmacy that did mine is fully booked until October (I think they are doing a staggered release to be honest), BUT....someone did call when I was there and I overheard the assistant offering them a cancellation for that day. So always worth a call on the day.

We had a consent form sent home for DD on Tuesday. Completed and handed back in the next day. Since had a text from school to remind parents to complete and return and it said they would be administered in November! I understand that is the usual time, from a friend. I just thought that they might do it sooner this year with everything else going on, but I guess they are prioritising the clinically vulnerable.

maryb

littlemoney said:

maryb said:

Our surgery said on its website they were doing flu jabs and to book online.  But there was no link to book!  So I phoned to be told I was number 30 in the queue.  I did place a call back but it was over two and a half hours later when I got to No 1 in the queue.

If I had to wait that long on the phone it would cost me £20 just to make an appointment as I have no inclusive calls on my phone.

With call back you can hang up and it phones you when you are number 1 in the queue and puts you straight in the queue to be answered next.  In theory it's a great idea but if you miss the call you lose your place so you have to stay close to the phone until some unpredictable time.
Our pharmacy won't have the vaccine in until October same as the GP.  And to be honest, our pharmacist is a bit brusque so I'm not totally keen on him doing the jabs rather than a nurse practitioner who does hundreds

MrsCD

My DH had a text from our surgery last week to ring them, and he's getting his flu jab tomorrow. I'm under 65 so I'll be in the next wave of calls. They are prioritizing the over 65's, then the people with underlying health risks, then the rest, is what I was told. They also explained about the different vaccines for over and under 65's. Good service I reckon, here in County Durham!
Now, if we can only get people to behave..... that's another thing altogether.

3secondmemory

You can’t ring our surgery for love or money – you have to listen to a really boring messageBy a guy who sounds like Professor Yaffle. Then you are told various options and where you are in the queue if you wish to hold. You are pressured to go online and fill in an e-consult. 

Every time I’ve tried to do one, it’s locked me out, so I followed the Surgery’s advice and got the receptionist to help me – not that I want to explain my intimate symptoms to someone who has no medical knowledge- She got locked out too. It was too complicated to fill in the form so a printed message came up to call the surgery 😂😂

The point is these forms are really hard for people with ADHD and other neurological conditions. 

I’ve been told to wait to hear about my jab. 

Does anyone know if it’s the same jab as last year because I didn’t get mine till January which means I’ve got more leeway 

villagelife

I'm still waiting to hear when I will have my jab. I work in a hospital so have it at work but very quiet as to when it will start so far.