COVID vaccine letters

NaughtiusMaximus

Does anyone know if there's a date by which everyone in the clinically extremely vulnerable/shielding group should receive their vaccination letter? My GF is still waiting for hers, everyone else we know who's either shielding or over 70 (which to be fair isn't a huge amount of people) has now received a letter. Our GP practice are as helpful as a cocoa derived tea receptacle.

Grumpy_chap

The Government target was for the top 4 priority groups to be offered the vaccine by 15th February:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55045639

NaughtiusMaximus

Grumpy_chap said:

The Government target was for the top 4 priority groups to be offered the vaccine by 15th February:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55045639

I know, hence why I'm asking if there's timescales for people to receive the letters.

ETA - as in real world timescales rather than government targets which generally tend to fail anyway.

Grumpy_chap

I don't know why you apply such a negative view - general consensus is that the COVID vaccine roll-out is progressing extraordinarily well.

NaughtiusMaximus

Grumpy_chap said:

I don't know why you apply such a negative view - general consensus is that the COVID vaccine roll-out is progressing extraordinarily well.

I was referring to government targets generally, not specifically COVID.

I see from another thread started yesterday that there are other shielding people who have not yet received their letters too, bearing in mind there will by necessity be a gap between receipt of letter and vaccination, the likelihood of EVERYONE in the top 4 tiers receiving their vaccine in the next 2 weeks is looking somewhat low.

Thrugelmir

NaughtiusMaximus said:

Grumpy_chap said:

I don't know why you apply such a negative view - general consensus is that the COVID vaccine roll-out is progressing extraordinarily well.

I was referring to government targets generally, not specifically COVID.

I see from another thread started yesterday that there are other shielding people who have not yet received their letters too, bearing in mind there will by necessity be a gap between receipt of letter and vaccination, the likelihood of EVERYONE in the top 4 tiers receiving their vaccine in the next 2 weeks is looking somewhat low.

Not EVERYONE is accepting the vaccine. The Government can only offer. As has been said before the rollout is impressive and is to be congratulated.  Not the time to be nit picking. When there's many factors in play.  Not least that the Post Office at a local level is suffering staff shortages.  

NaughtiusMaximus

Thrugelmir said:

NaughtiusMaximus said:

Grumpy_chap said:

I don't know why you apply such a negative view - general consensus is that the COVID vaccine roll-out is progressing extraordinarily well.

I was referring to government targets generally, not specifically COVID.

I see from another thread started yesterday that there are other shielding people who have not yet received their letters too, bearing in mind there will by necessity be a gap between receipt of letter and vaccination, the likelihood of EVERYONE in the top 4 tiers receiving their vaccine in the next 2 weeks is looking somewhat low.

Not EVERYONE is accepting the vaccine. The Government can only offer. As has been said before the rollout is impressive and is to be congratulated.  Not the time to be nit picking. When there's many factors in play.  Not least that the Post Office at a local level is suffering staff shortages.  

I obviously meant everyone who wants a vaccine, but I think you knew that and were being needlessly pedantic.

In any event you're missing the point which is there are people who have not yet been offered the vaccine yet, the headline in the BBC article is misleading, the target is actually to both offer and vaccinate all people in the top 4 tiers who want a vaccine within the next 2 weeks.

Letters can and do get lost in the postal system which is why I asked if there was a date by which they should be received, ie when should we stop just waiting for a letter that may never arrive and instead start chasing it up?

jimi_man

I think even if the Govt don’t reach the target I don’t think (I would hope anyway)  that anyone is going to shout too loudly about it or criticise. It’s likely to be close, so a few shy still marks an impressive effort. 

roddydogs

Once the system says you are eligible, a letter is sent  however it could take 7 days or more to arrive. You can book as soon as the system says you have been sent a letter. I received  my letter a week after booking.

NaughtiusMaximus

roddydogs said:

Once the system says you are eligible, a letter is sent  however it could take 7 days or more to arrive. You can book as soon as the system says you have been sent a letter. I received  my letter a week after booking.

Interesting, so you mean as long as you're in the shielding group you don't necessarily need to physically have received the letter to book your vaccination? Presumably the booking systems checks you're eligible by way of your NHS number.

SingleSue

NaughtiusMaximus said:

roddydogs said:

Once the system says you are eligible, a letter is sent  however it could take 7 days or more to arrive. You can book as soon as the system says you have been sent a letter. I received  my letter a week after booking.

Interesting, so you mean as long as you're in the shielding group you don't necessarily need to physically have received the letter to book your vaccination? Presumably the booking systems checks you're eligible by way of your NHS number.

That was what our experience was, youngest was invited to his local hub for a vaccination but as he is currently at home and not in his uni city, we asked for advice what to do and were told to call 119 to find out how he could get on the local (to his childhood home) lists/what to do. We duly called, they checked if the system allowed a booking but at that point, his letter hadn't been produced and so a booking couldn't be made, they advised him to keep checking every few days until it allowed him to do it.

He's having his jab in exactly an hour, had he been in his uni city, he would have had it three days ago, so not too much later than it would have been.