Having gone to a pharmacy and paid £15 for my flu jabs for the past few years, I was pleased to get an NHS appointment for this year's flu jab at our nearest vaccination centre. The NE Man, who has never had a flu jab, received an appointment for the same time.
It was far more efficient and no-nonsense than the pharmacy, and they were powering through the flu jabs. Alas unlike the £15 jabs, there was no voucher for a free cup of tea at the nearest tea-room.
I always get a reaction to the flu jab. I think I’ll have mine separately.
FWIW, Madame and I had our first covid jabs (at our age, we got the Astra-Zenica) in mid April, which was about the earliest we could get in. Then a few weeks later, there was the regular flu shot, and the second A-Z in late June. We both had a bit of a reaction to the first A-Z, almost 24 hours to the minute after the injection. We felt as if we were getting the flu, were off colour for the rest of that day and then all the next. Nothing after the second, nor the regular jab. Being over 70, this was all free.
@Piglet, I think you'll know the pharmacy - Michies - and the tea-room - also Michies! It was an Aberdeen institution in the 1980s when I was at University and it's still going strong. After getting the flu jab and coughing up the £15, they would suggest solicitously that you should sit down for 20 mins and give you the free hot drink voucher. I always bought a fine piece to go with my free coffee, so that was another £2 into Michie's coffers. It was splendid all round.
The NHS lacked the solicitousness and the "free" coffee, but it was a lot faster and more efficient!
I had the free over 50s flu jab at the GPs last year, the first time I had the jab for over a decade (I got it free from my GP when I was a nurse). We were told to go and queue some time between 9-1 and it took about 20 mins of busy queueing but getting the jab itself was very efficient.
I've never reacted to any jab.
Paid for my ‘flu jab last year at the pharmacy, (just before the free one was extended to my age group.) Had this year’s one at Boots again, as an NHS patient. By my calculation I won’t be eligible for the Covid booster until the end of November at least as my 2nd jab was in early May.
I've never had the flu jag, but as I work with frontline staff, I think I probably ought to get it when I get the chance. My boss does vaccine clinics for flu and whooping cough for our patients; I don't know whether she'd be able to sneak me in.
I've never had the flu jag, but as I work with frontline staff, I think I probably ought to get it when I get the chance. My boss does vaccine clinics for flu and whooping cough for our patients; I don't know whether she'd be able to sneak me in.
I think you'd probably qualify for it free anyhow, but it's likely to be available to you by virtue of your employer. I've had them for the past few years because I work in a hospital, and whilst I don't see patients, all patients coming through our area are by definition vulnerable (which is how I got initial COVID jags, and therefore the booster so early) If I've remembered where you work aright, given a number of your colleagues work with folk who live with small germ-factories at home, I'd get it if offered!
If if protects me against the sort of cold/flu type thing I've just had, it certainly would be.
Shows it’s already beginning to circulate. When I remarked to the pharmacist that last year the surgery didn’t call me until November, he remarked that that was normal, given that the flu generally only really kicks in from then onwards. “That’s as maybe...” I thought. (though I didn’t say it). 😐
My husband and I had the flu jabs last Saturday. As I'm over sixty-five they suggested I have the pneumonia one as well. The combination wiped me out for the rest of the day, and I didn't feel quite right until about Tuesday. I think it was worth it, despite having a still slightly painful arm from the pneumonia jab. I was very impressed by the efficiency of our local surgery, and I bumped into someone who seems to volunteer for more or less everything in our town, including directing people in the surgery.
I'll be in the queue for my covid booster jab and hope I don't have any side effects!
Piglet, I don't know if there is funding attached to NHS employee flu vaccination in Scotland, but my trust was a definite case of "we need 75% of you to come and have one so we can get some money for meeting the official target" every year. I imagine that occupational health will be publicising staff vaccination soon. This is the first time in several years I am not automatically eligible, but apparently there will be vouchers available at work to cover the cost of one.
Last year and again this year they lowered the criteria for free flu jabs here because of the fear that hospitals would also be coping with Covid patients. This hasn't happened in Christchurch (yet), but it has been a problem in Auckland.
Pre Covid hospitals were often filled beyond capacity with flu cases, but because of the limited number of people entering NZ the flu hasn't been prevalent in the last 2 winters.
Similarly here in Australia. The last report I saw said that flu cases across the whole of the nation were numbered in the hundreds rather than the usual tens of thousands.
Don't forget you have to be over 6months since your second COVID jab to be eligible, so if Mr F got his jab some time before Firenze, she won't yet be eligible.
I will get my summons in due course. It's not, I think, to do with timing (we both had the original shots about the same time) and more that Mr F is the more vulnerable, whereas I don't have much going bar age.
I'm still recovering in the rehab unit here, and I was most impressed the other week when the doctor came round with flu jabs for one and all. No waiting, no queueing, didnt even have to get up out of my chair!
I have my flu jab booked, but we missed the drop-in clinics for the Pfizer booster. However, as if in compensation, I have been offered a shingles jab which I shall definitely take.
All I will need then will be my pneumonia vaccination (oh, and the booster)
I have my flu jab booked, but we missed the drop-in clinics for the Pfizer booster. However, as if in compensation, I have been offered a shingles jab which I shall definitely take.
All I will need then will be my pneumonia vaccination (oh, and the booster)
I don't know how it is in England, but in Scotland, I believe they're rolling it out as they did the initial vaccines, ie invites for the booster. You have to book an appointment, and you will only be able to book if it is more than six months since your second jab. A colleague of mine went onto to the booking site, which has details of your previous vaccinations, a few days before the six months was up for him, and it wouldn't let him book anything until after 6 months had elapsed. When I went to my appointment, there were two very distinct cohorts of jabbees - teenagers, and younger/middle-aged folk who were almost certainly healthcare/care workers - they weren't old enough to have had initial/second jabs six months ago otherwise. My over-70s friends here didn't get their second jags until May, so won't be eligible for boosters until November.
Here in the Deep Dark Forest there was a notification on social media from our Health Centre, telling us that as there was a nationwide issue with booking the booster the clinics would be drop-ins.
Here in the Deep Dark Forest there was a notification on social media from our Health Centre, telling us that as there was a nationwide issue with booking the booster the clinics would be drop-ins.
Here in the Deep Dark Forest there was a notification on social media from our Health Centre, telling us that as there was a nationwide issue with booking the booster the clinics would be drop-ins.
Is that a Good Thing, and helpful?
If you have book-ins only, you can control the numbers of people at any one time. On top of that, you have a record of who was present and when each was there. All-in-all, much better.
For my John Prescott, I was offered either a drop-in that day or a book-in the following evening. I chose the book-in because that's a case of turn-up just before and get it done. Drop-in would me jagged a day earlier, but with an unknown period of time queuing to get in. Convenience of telling the children to be good and I'll be back within half an hour beat getting the jag a few hours earlier without knowing how long the children would be on their own.
The trials people have ordered my husband down for a booster today (Moderna) and me at the end of the month (Pfizer). Hoping Mr. Lamb doesn't have as hard a reaction as he did last time (chills and fever, day in bed). Hoping mine doesn't give me issues having eye surgery three days later!
I have stayed away from this thread because I was a bit of a pugnacious bastard when we discussed covid elsewhere last year.
Anyway, I'm in the sleepover portion of my shift and we have been upgraded to a tier 1 exposure site. That means all the clients in this supported accom are in 14 day lockdown, as are the staff who worked with the infected person.
I will work through their ISO period, but limit contact with my wife and not leave our house other than to go to work.
I'm not looking forward to this. Please pray for me, my co-workers and our 4 clients, Pat, Mel, Matt and Corrine. All are double vaxxed, but most of us have underlying conditions.
If you have book-ins only, you can control the numbers of people at any one time. On top of that, you have a record of who was present and when each was there. All-in-all, much better.
Also much worse for people who have challenges committing to schedules, or have variable lives. There are plenty of people who will find time to drop in to a drop-in thing, but never be confident enough ahead of time to book.
And there are plenty of other people for whom booking, and so less queuing, is more convenient.
The trials people have ordered my husband down for a booster today (Moderna) and me at the end of the month (Pfizer). Hoping Mr. Lamb doesn't have as hard a reaction as he did last time (chills and fever, day in bed). Hoping mine doesn't give me issues having eye surgery three days later!
If it's any help, we both had a bit of a reaction to our first jab, but none at all to the second.
If you have book-ins only, you can control the numbers of people at any one time. On top of that, you have a record of who was present and when each was there. All-in-all, much better.
Also much worse for people who have challenges committing to schedules, or have variable lives. There are plenty of people who will find time to drop in to a drop-in thing, but never be confident enough ahead of time to book.
Given the very great importance of having the vaccination, surely a brief commitment is manageable.
Pre Covid hospitals were often filled beyond capacity with flu cases, but because of the limited number of people entering NZ the flu hasn't been prevalent in the last 2 winters.
I think the story in Oz is that increased hand sanitisation has reduced the transmission of the flu virus.
The trials people have ordered my husband down for a booster today (Moderna) and me at the end of the month (Pfizer). Hoping Mr. Lamb doesn't have as hard a reaction as he did last time (chills and fever, day in bed). Hoping mine doesn't give me issues having eye surgery three days later!
If it's any help, we both had a bit of a reaction to our first jab, but none at all to the second.
If you have book-ins only, you can control the numbers of people at any one time. On top of that, you have a record of who was present and when each was there. All-in-all, much better.
Also much worse for people who have challenges committing to schedules, or have variable lives. There are plenty of people who will find time to drop in to a drop-in thing, but never be confident enough ahead of time to book.
Given the very great importance of having the vaccination, surely a brief commitment is manageable.
Back in April, when we had our first AZ, people came in to make an appointment and were given a vaccination within 10 minutes.
Pre Covid hospitals were often filled beyond capacity with flu cases, but because of the limited number of people entering NZ the flu hasn't been prevalent in the last 2 winters.
I think the story in Oz is that increased hand sanitisation has reduced the transmission of the flu virus.
Not to mention masking, keeping one’s distance, isolating when having symptoms ( which may or may not be flu) &of course a hugely increased uptake of the annual flu jab
Back in April, when we had our first AZ, people came in to make an appointment and were given a vaccination within 10 minutes.
We had to make appointments for each of ours, but that's just the basis the practice operates on. First in mid-April, second 6 weeks later. At our age, it was the A-Z, not given a choice.
Here in the Deep Dark Forest there was a notification on social media from our Health Centre, telling us that as there was a nationwide issue with booking the booster the clinics would be drop-ins.
Is that a Good Thing, and helpful?
It did mean that we didn't go along and wait, because it was a very busy week and although we could have found time for an appointment, we wouldn't have gone along and queued in the rain for an unspecified time!
Having checked, we might not have been eligible anyway due to the time elapsed (or not!) since the second one.
Got my call-up papers for next Thursday, fortunately for an early afternoon slot. I was concerned it might be early, since even with Mr F driving me there, it's about 30 minutes. By public transport, more like an hour and a half.
I shook hands with someone recently (possibly Forthview at the Shipmeet a couple of weeks ago?) and thought, "Good God, I've just shaken hands with someone!" Probably the first time in about a year and a half.
Ah. Well then, maybe I m behind the times and need to get out and about a bit more and consider the possibility that I might be shaking hands with folk sometime soon?
Then again maybe I ll stay at a beach and be a grumpy sod with the seals!
An estate agent came round to value my mother in law’s house yesterday. I let the family get on with it, but after he’d gone the first topic of conversation wasn’t the valuation he’d given but the fact he’d shook hands with them.
I got a text from my GP’s practice this week, which I hoped was regarding my booster shot. No it was an explanation of their new working practices that I’d already been given when I went for my flu jab.
I take a little bottle of hand sanitiser everywhere with me. I think this habit will be with me for life. Hopefully several colds will be prevented too.
Yes, I think the hand sanitiser is going to be a life-long habit for me, too. I started taking a small bottle of hand-san, or a packet of wipes with me on journeys years ago, as I suspected that washing hands in a train toilet simply swapped one set of germs for another. It was reassuring to both wash and sanitise. Going forward, I foresee that I'll always carry one.
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It was far more efficient and no-nonsense than the pharmacy, and they were powering through the flu jabs. Alas unlike the £15 jabs, there was no voucher for a free cup of tea at the nearest tea-room.
FWIW, Madame and I had our first covid jabs (at our age, we got the Astra-Zenica) in mid April, which was about the earliest we could get in. Then a few weeks later, there was the regular flu shot, and the second A-Z in late June. We both had a bit of a reaction to the first A-Z, almost 24 hours to the minute after the injection. We felt as if we were getting the flu, were off colour for the rest of that day and then all the next. Nothing after the second, nor the regular jab. Being over 70, this was all free.
@Piglet, I think you'll know the pharmacy - Michies - and the tea-room - also Michies! It was an Aberdeen institution in the 1980s when I was at University and it's still going strong. After getting the flu jab and coughing up the £15, they would suggest solicitously that you should sit down for 20 mins and give you the free hot drink voucher. I always bought a fine piece to go with my free coffee, so that was another £2 into Michie's coffers. It was splendid all round.
The NHS lacked the solicitousness and the "free" coffee, but it was a lot faster and more efficient!
I've never reacted to any jab.
I think you'd probably qualify for it free anyhow, but it's likely to be available to you by virtue of your employer. I've had them for the past few years because I work in a hospital, and whilst I don't see patients, all patients coming through our area are by definition vulnerable (which is how I got initial COVID jags, and therefore the booster so early) If I've remembered where you work aright, given a number of your colleagues work with folk who live with small germ-factories at home, I'd get it if offered!
Shows it’s already beginning to circulate. When I remarked to the pharmacist that last year the surgery didn’t call me until November, he remarked that that was normal, given that the flu generally only really kicks in from then onwards. “That’s as maybe...” I thought. (though I didn’t say it). 😐
I'll be in the queue for my covid booster jab and hope I don't have any side effects!
Pre Covid hospitals were often filled beyond capacity with flu cases, but because of the limited number of people entering NZ the flu hasn't been prevalent in the last 2 winters.
There has to be something good about being here.
All I will need then will be my pneumonia vaccination (oh, and the booster)
I don't know how it is in England, but in Scotland, I believe they're rolling it out as they did the initial vaccines, ie invites for the booster. You have to book an appointment, and you will only be able to book if it is more than six months since your second jab. A colleague of mine went onto to the booking site, which has details of your previous vaccinations, a few days before the six months was up for him, and it wouldn't let him book anything until after 6 months had elapsed. When I went to my appointment, there were two very distinct cohorts of jabbees - teenagers, and younger/middle-aged folk who were almost certainly healthcare/care workers - they weren't old enough to have had initial/second jabs six months ago otherwise. My over-70s friends here didn't get their second jags until May, so won't be eligible for boosters until November.
Is that a Good Thing, and helpful?
If you have book-ins only, you can control the numbers of people at any one time. On top of that, you have a record of who was present and when each was there. All-in-all, much better.
Anyway, I'm in the sleepover portion of my shift and we have been upgraded to a tier 1 exposure site. That means all the clients in this supported accom are in 14 day lockdown, as are the staff who worked with the infected person.
I will work through their ISO period, but limit contact with my wife and not leave our house other than to go to work.
I'm not looking forward to this. Please pray for me, my co-workers and our 4 clients, Pat, Mel, Matt and Corrine. All are double vaxxed, but most of us have underlying conditions.
((votives)) for Simon, co-workers, and clients. May you all stay safe, and keep well.
Also much worse for people who have challenges committing to schedules, or have variable lives. There are plenty of people who will find time to drop in to a drop-in thing, but never be confident enough ahead of time to book.
And there are plenty of other people for whom booking, and so less queuing, is more convenient.
No information about flu jabs though.
If it's any help, we both had a bit of a reaction to our first jab, but none at all to the second.
Given the very great importance of having the vaccination, surely a brief commitment is manageable.
I think the story in Oz is that increased hand sanitisation has reduced the transmission of the flu virus.
Back in April, when we had our first AZ, people came in to make an appointment and were given a vaccination within 10 minutes.
Not to mention masking, keeping one’s distance, isolating when having symptoms ( which may or may not be flu) &of course a hugely increased uptake of the annual flu jab
We had to make appointments for each of ours, but that's just the basis the practice operates on. First in mid-April, second 6 weeks later. At our age, it was the A-Z, not given a choice.
It did mean that we didn't go along and wait, because it was a very busy week and although we could have found time for an appointment, we wouldn't have gone along and queued in the rain for an unspecified time!
Having checked, we might not have been eligible anyway due to the time elapsed (or not!) since the second one.
Habit?
I put the length of the room between us and tried not to get grumpy
Then again maybe I ll stay at a beach and be a grumpy sod with the seals!
I got a text from my GP’s practice this week, which I hoped was regarding my booster shot. No it was an explanation of their new working practices that I’d already been given when I went for my flu jab.