1st dose of AZ only and it shows me a QR code.
Found the QR code 🙂 Hadn't noticed the 'share covid status' option earlier. We've used the app for a couple of years as our GP was keen to get everyone using it, so did all the ID checks back then.
For those of you that had 2 appointments booked (been given 2 dates from the start), have you had to cancel your second jab date to get something nearer to 8 weeks (not 12)?
My second jab date is next week, so I'm loath to cancel in case I end up with a date further away.
Thank you
I’ll warn you now the face scan is a bit psychedelic to say the least.
it was a bit 90's sci-fi, 'lets show we are doing something geeky'.
@bunnyhop - my wife had a text from the surgery offering her a slot this weekend. She didn't need to do anything. Not sure what the situation is if you booked direct with a vaccination centre...
For those of you that had 2 appointments booked (been given 2 dates from the start), have you had to cancel your second jab date to get something nearer to 8 weeks (not 12)?
My second jab date is next week, so I’m loath to cancel in case I end up with a date further away.
Anecdotally that seems to be the case. Also, if you log onto the national booking site there's a notice that says:
Important: Important
We'll be contacting some people directly to bring forward their appointment for the 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
This is so people at greater risk of getting seriously ill due to coronavirus can get maximum protection earlier.
Please wait to be contacted if you think you're in this group.
That's what I'm doing, waiting that is. Of course there'd be less confusion if Johnson hadn't just thrown out a vague soundbite about bringing forward second jabs for over-50s and vulnerable groups without any sort of qualification about how it would work. But then he 'doesn't do detail'. If you think it through, if you're going to start shifting second jab appointments for a huge number of people using a system that's not really designed to work like that, it's going to be very difficult.
My guess is that there's a lot of scrabbling around behind the scenes trying to translate the intention into a feasible process.
But anyway, in your position, I'd be waiting a week rather than messing about playing appointment bingo with the booking system.
^^ Agreed.
For those of you that had 2 appointments booked (been given 2 dates from the start), have you had to cancel your second jab date to get something nearer to 8 weeks (not 12)?
My second jab date is next week, so I’m loath to cancel in case I end up with a date further away.
My bro had to cancel his 2nd jab appointment then book a new one... 2 hours later than the original 2nd jab was scheduled. But at least it's at a pharmacy he can walk to rather than 15 min drive.
We had to cancel one to rebook but not the other, so we looked at all the dates available for the one that didn't need cancelling and their were so many times for yesterday that we cancelled the other and rebooked it straight away for yesterday. We got the same times at the same place so it was a no brainer for us.
Both jabs now showing on the NHS app along with the barcode. Had no side effects and still cant tell I've had them, lucky me
Thanks everyone.
I have decided to stay with the original second date. Too close to mess around now.
If you are in the group that will have a 2nd vaccine moved closer to 8 weeks rather than 12...Could I ask that you try to resist the urge to call your GP?
If your vaccine is being administered via your local GP network, Your GP will know who you are, they can see when your 2nd vaccine is due, they'll send you out a text inviting you to make a new 2nd appt.
If you've booked through the national service...yeah, good luck with that.
If you’ve booked through the national service…yeah, good luck with that.
What do you mean, that they're unlikely to be able to sort it. I'm 2.5 weeks away from my second dose, low risk from both health and 'must go to pub!!' perspective so I'm inclined that waiting and not disrupting the system is better overall? Or should I cancel and rebook to be (by the time I find a suitable booking slot) a week or 10 days earlier?
nickc
If your vaccine is being administered via your local GP network, Your GP will know who you are, they can see when your 2nd vaccine is due, they’ll send you out a text inviting you to make a new 2nd appt.
Can't you even keep to the same story ?
I thought that these lists were handled by admin staff not GP's?
I thought the text comes from a third party?
Can’t you even keep to the same story ?
I thought that these lists were handled by admin staff not GP’s?
I thought the text comes from a third party?Let's not have the literal English argument again please. You didn't come out of it looking too clever last time. Badgering someone whose job is to help get people vaccinated and maintain healthcare provision to everyone else is neither big nor clever.
Indeed
A bit uncalled for
If you've booked via the national system its either cancel online and rebook, or call 119 to do the same. If you struggled to get a convenient appointment last time I'd stick with what you've got.
Just for info, my 2nd appointment was set for 5th July via the central NHS website (1st appointment was 15 april). I cancelled and rebooked hoping to get an earlier appintment. I was able to bring it forward to 1st July, a whole 4 days earlier. You might be luckier, or you may cancel and then find there's nothing until later than your original appoinetment...
What do you mean,
Sorry, flippant, I hear some right stories from our patients about the national vaccine centers (and from colleagues roped in to man them) . FWIW i think they're in an unenviable position, and coping as best they can. I don't know what their system is like for re-booking the 2nd dose of vaccine.
AIUI 12 weeks seems better from an overall immunity perspective than less time between jabs. The initial month was due to the trials only being a month between jabs and that was due to the urgency of completing the trials not clinical concerns. The government did the wrong thing when they extended it to 12 weeks, they had no idea if it would work, we were lucky and it appears the extended time between jabs improves long term protection (could have easily gone the other way).
For me having had my first jab, the level of protection a single jab gives and the fact I'm not rushing to the pub or any other super spreader event I quite happy to wait for my 2nd jab as scheduled if that means younger people get their first jab sooner and I get better long term protection.
Not sure where the panicked change of strategy came from, the existing one (more through luck than judgement) seemed to be working well.
Change of strategy is just to be “seen to be doing something” in the face of the news about new variants. Just keeping original 2nd jab dates unless offered a new one seems the best response for most of us.
Hancock highlighting yesterday that some folk were in hospital that were eligible for vaccine but hadn't taken up the offer sounds to me like a convenient scapegoat.
Personally speaking. If you're not in the 1-9 priority vaccine group and have a date for your second dose, stick to that, and don't call your GP
Noted, thanks Nickc
(can you send that to me in writing via a third party text provider, just to make it official, like 😉 )
The government did the wrong thing when they extended it to 12 weeks, they had no idea if it would work, we were lucky and it appears the extended time between jabs improves long term protection (could have easily gone the other way).
The government did something for which there was no trial data at that time, as subsequent data has shown they clearly did the right thing. This is hardly surprisingly because the decision was based on advice from scientists who used their experience and knowledge of how vaccines work to make a judgement call on what was likely to be the most effective strategy in a pandemic - and as a result many lives were saved.
Sorry, flippant, I hear some right stories from our patients about the national vaccine centers (and from colleagues roped in to man them) . FWIW i think they’re in an unenviable position, and coping as best they can
NickC. Im not quite sure what you are insinuating?
Ive worked in GP led, Pharmacy & mass vaccination sites as a non-HCP vaccinator. I see no reason for any particular type to look down their noses at any other?
to make a judgement call on
It was a brilliant punt. Absolutely has saved lives. Did get lucky. Now we have enough data not only to show that they guessed (an informed intelligent guess) correctly, but that they should be sticking to it really. The change this week looks like PR, or desperately seeking to do something in the face of new outbreaks that should have been prevented (and should be contained/stopped using all the measures we now know work, not just speeding up the vaccine rollout).
I see no reason for any particular type to look down their noses at any other?
Wasn't trying to, just the usual gossip I'm sure.
It wasn't really a punt in the same way following professional or expert advice is rarely described as taking a punt. What was so commendable was the JVCI realised that the precautionary principle typically used for avoiding risks also means that you miss out on benefits, whilst completely obvious, it takes a quality mind to have the confidence to ditch ingrained processes. Likewise the benefits of bringing forwarded the second vaccines are known albeit considerably less significant. That said being in a place where you are weighing up a slight increase in effectiveness of protection for the most vulnerable against significant protection for those who aren't particularly vulnerable is a quality problem to have.
Sanity check please - a (non English speaking) friend wants to understand this article. I speak reasonably servicable Engish but do not understand anything remotely academic...
The gist is, I guess, the RRR of 67% for the AZ vaccine means that's the risk reduction if you were to catch the virus.
The ARR of 1.2% for AZ is that reduction, with your overall chance of catching the virus factored in. Is that right? Ta!
Has anyone heard anything about the Novavax vaccine? I thought its data package had been submitted to the MHRA during April. Bearing in mind how quickly they managed to process and approve the AZ and Pfizer vaccines I'm surprised we haven't heard something by now. Would be a useful for have in our vaccine arsenal as its made in the UK
Our Novavax doses don’t start arriving ‘till the Autumn, IIRC.
Prof Jason Leitch (National clinical director of the Scottish Gov) says: He would prefer it if all 'green light' countries were put on to an 'amber light'.
He's in charge of public health in Scotland and knows his stuff.
Prof Jason Leitch (National clinical director of the Scottish Gov) says: He would prefer it if all ‘green light’ countries were put on to an ‘amber light’.
Given that the government have said they don't want people going to Amber countries, why don't we make them red?
How ****ing hard is it to ban foreign holidays - accepting people may have genuine work and family reasons to travel
If I were the EU, I'd shut the door myself. Seeding the Indian variant more widely across the continent will prolong their wave.
Had my 2nd dose. Just looking at the NHS website.
'The 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine should give you good protection from coronavirus from 3 or 4 weeks after you've had it. But you need to have the 2 doses of the vaccine to give you longer lasting protection.'
So am I fully protected now, the day after the 2nd dose? It's just extending the protection?
How **** hard is it to ban foreign holidays – accepting people may have genuine work and family reasons to travel
Seemed pretty easy just a week or so ago.
France returned to a sort of normality today except that it's normal + 50%. Queues outside the shops, no places left on the cafe terraces, people sitting around all over the place. It's all very festive and there's a reassuringly good breeze. We'll see how the numbers go from here.
So am I fully protected now, the day after the 2nd dose? It’s just extending the protection?
No because it takes time for your immune system to respond. Seven to 14 days is the figure that gets quoted most for full protection after the second jab.
Almost 3k cases today, granted it was going to happen once we started to let people do stuff. Really hope this isn't the start of a trend.
Just had my second dose. Slight problem in that the appointment they'd sent me by text wasn't on the system at the GP surgery, but they found a spare needle of something and stuck it in my arm to hurry me out the door.
Should make the conversation about returning to the office a bit easier to deal with next week.
The booking system really is a mess.
Jab 1:
Turn 50 but can’t book, computer/person on phone/surgery all say no.
Finally over a week later get jabbed after the big Handcock announcement “all over 50’s offered a jab”
Week later get a letter from NHS then a text from surgery (vaccine hub) inviting me to have first jab?!?
Jab 2: Policy change to 8 weeks so cancelled the 12 week one given to me at hospital (guys) on NHS website, rebook at local surgery hub for 8 weeks after a text from them inviting me to book. (Not on NHS main website)
Now have text from NHS saying 12 week appointment is cancelled (the one I cancelled already) due to “vaccine supply considerations” and have been rebooked at Guys hospital for 8 weeks?!
Log in to NHS to see where it has my jab booked?
“You need to book your second vaccination”
WTF? Now I have no idea if I have 1, 2 or no appointments booked?
I know it’s a huge logistical/IT thing but surely by now they should have this sorted.
It’s too early for 17tb to have any impact yet. Beware a single days data - the rolling 7 day is still down.
At all the centres I’ve worked at we are quite flexible with bookings. If you rocked up when you expected with some form of booking evidence we would jab you as long as we were using the right vaccine that day.
The 2 appointments are 2 hours apart on the same day so i’ll Turn up at local surgery 3 min walk away and if they turn me away I have time to hop on a train to St Thomas’s where i’m sure they will fit me in at one of the 3 vaccine centres on site.
So am I fully protected now, the day after the 2nd dose? It’s just extending the protection?
No because it takes time for your immune system to respond. Seven to 14 days is the figure that gets quoted most for full protection after the second jab.
But even then I think you're "extending" protection rather than providing permanent protection (like flu).
France returned to a sort of normality today except that it’s normal + 50%. Queues outside the shops, no places left on the cafe terraces, people sitting around all over the place. It’s all very festive and there’s a reassuringly good breeze. We’ll see how the numbers go from here
Happened here in Spain on 9th May so I imagine an uptick in cases will be seen in the next week. 33% of the province vaccinated with at least one dose as of today, 15% with two doses.
