Flu Inoculations WTF!

[Mike4]

Point of Order M'Lud....

It's not an inoculation, it's a vaccination. totally different things.

An inoculation is a small dose of a live virus or bacteria and best avoided. A vaccination however is a dose of a disabled version which will not give you the disease but will provoke an immune response, hopefully. The 'flu jab is a vaccination, as any fule kno.

[didds]

Had to call the GP surgery 3 times ( waited 20 mins each time ) to be told on the first two that they were out of supplies ,then got appointment third time for last Friday , so turned up at the tent in the car park ( Covid-19 precautions ) , for 14.48 appt. ,had to queue for full 10 seconds , called , sat , jabbed , done . It must have taken all of 60 seconds. Now , I'm wondering if I imagined it all.

Yup. Ditto, hence my vague thought about Pierrepoint. Only he only took 30 seconds after the customer leaving his/her cell

didds

[simsqu]

I just walked into a local pharmacy, who took one look at me and jabbed the over 65's vaccine in my arm in about 10 seconds flat. I'd only gone in for some corn plasters...

Which reminds me of an amusing incident a few years ago when I was 62. I went to join the local council gym which gives you half price membership if you are between 60-65, and free for over 65's. I duly turned up with my old geezer 60+ bus pass and a utility bill. The very pleasant and very young lady behind the counter tapped away at her keyboard and duly presented me with a gym card and said to me, "now all I need is proof that you are over 65.."

"But I'm only 62."

She looked a bit taken aback and said, "Oh dear, I've given you the free over 65 card by mistake." She furrowed her brow and continued, "never mind, I can't be bothered to redo it. If anyone queries it, just say you are over 65."

"Okay great," I said, adding half jokingly, "do you think I can pass for over 65?"

At which point the young lady looked me up and down a few times, nodded enthusiastically and reassuringly and said happily, "Oh yes Sir, no problem at all!"

[Mike4]

I just walked into a local pharmacy, who took one look at me and jabbed the over 65's vaccine in my arm in about 10 seconds flat. I'd only gone in for some corn plasters...

Which reminds me of an amusing incident a few years ago when I was 62. I went to join the local council gym which gives you half price membership if you are between 60-65, and free for over 65's. I duly turned up with my old geezer 60+ bus pass and a utility bill. The very pleasant and very young lady behind the counter tapped away at her keyboard and duly presented me with a gym card and said to me, "now all I need is proof that you are over 65.."

"But I'm only 62."

She looked a bit taken aback and said, "Oh dear, I've given you the free over 65 card by mistake." She furrowed her brow and continued, "never mind, I can't be bothered to redo it. If anyone queries it, just say you are over 65."

"Okay great," I said, adding half jokingly, "do you think I can pass for over 65?"

At which point the young lady looked me up and down a few times, nodded enthusiastically and reassuringly and said happily, "Oh yes Sir, no problem at all!"

Lol. I remember in a music establishment with my wife when we were in our mid-50s and she was at the bar to get a round in. The barmaid asked her if she was over 18 and my wife smartly said "YES I'm 53. And thank you so much for asking!"

Speeling edit.

[baldchap]

£8 at Asda if you want one.
Why jump through hoops?

[bungeejumper]

I had mine at our health c entre. Appointment, no waiting and was back in my car in about five minutes. 10 October. No reaction but then I never do.

When I had mine done at Sainsburys last year (free of charge, it was simply more convenient than going to my doctor's surgery), they asked me after the jab whether I intended to carry on shopping for a while? It seemed like an odd question.

The reason, they explained, was that if I was going to climb straight into my car, then no-one would find me if I should have a funny turn in the car park outside. And that they would much prefer it if I could hang around in-store for ten minutes after the jab, so that if I was going to go dizzy and faint, at least I'd fall over in public.

It was good thinking, all things considered. And the thought was much appreciated, even though I'm a strong lad with no wobbly tendencies. But alas, there was no time for such niceties at my doctor's surgery this year. In, out, don't turn up until five minutes before your appointment, and no more than two people allowed in the waiting room at any time. A reminder that a lot of things have changed in the last seven months.

BJ

[robbelg]

I went for my vaccination today (not inoculation - thanks mike 4 )

As I arrived 2 men in Hi- vis directed me to drive the length of the car park then another sent me back and forth along more coned off lanes the length of the car park and back again ( It a BIG car park, used to be a Park and Ride terminal ) then I arrived at the check in tent where my ID was checked then back and forth along more traffic lanes and more men in Hi-Vis before I arrived at one of 5 tents ( each with 2 stations ) checked my name and DOB again then got the jab drive off along more traffic lanes to the exit.

In all that time I was the only one there!

To be fair it seems that this was the first day of operation, Tues 20th was the first time I could see a date and today Thur 22nd was the first available date.

On the other hand my doctors letter was dated 12th and on Sept 29th the local press said it would start on Oct 5th

Rob

[stevensfo]

I had mine at our health c entre. Appointment, no waiting and was back in my car in about five minutes. 10 October. No reaction but then I never do.

When I had mine done at Sainsburys last year (free of charge, it was simply more convenient than going to my doctor's surgery), they asked me after the jab whether I intended to carry on shopping for a while? It seemed like an odd question.

The reason, they explained, was that if I was going to climb straight into my car, then no-one would find me if I should have a funny turn in the car park outside. And that they would much prefer it if I could hang around in-store for ten minutes after the jab, so that if I was going to go dizzy and faint, at least I'd fall over in public.

It was good thinking, all things considered. And the thought was much appreciated, even though I'm a strong lad with no wobbly tendencies. But alas, there was no time for such niceties at my doctor's surgery this year. In, out, don't turn up until five minutes before your appointment, and no more than two people allowed in the waiting room at any time. A reminder that a lot of things have changed in the last seven months.

BJ

As far as I remember, most - though not all- vaccinations require a short period to check for any immediate side-effects, some of which can be lethal.

I'll be having my flu jab next week and have been told that that I must wait 15 minutes before leaving.

Even when I had my hayfever injections back in the 1970s (totally useless!) , they made me wait a few minutes. It was our village surgery and I used to go straight from the school bus. I did think of feigning dizziness to get a day off school, but the nurses in those days were as tough as nails and knew all the tricks! If your heart was beating, you went to school!

Steve

[XFool]

As far as I remember, most - though not all- vaccinations require a short period to check for any immediate side-effects, some of which can be lethal.

I'll be having my flu jab next week and have been told that that I must wait 15 minutes before leaving.

Even when I had my hayfever injections back in the 1970s (totally useless!) , they made me wait a few minutes.

Can't remember being told that with any vaccination I have ever had.

[stevensfo]

As far as I remember, most - though not all- vaccinations require a short period to check for any immediate side-effects, some of which can be lethal.

I'll be having my flu jab next week and have been told that that I must wait 15 minutes before leaving.

Even when I had my hayfever injections back in the 1970s (totally useless!) , they made me wait a few minutes.

Can't remember being told that with any vaccination I have ever had.

Yes, I admit to being surprised at 15 minutes. Insurance reasons? But people do sometimes have an anaphylactic shock after vaccinations. They are injecting a denatured version of the pathogen into the body, and your body's immune system may go into overdrive. The whole point is to trick your immune system into producing antibodies, while the denatured virus/bacteria is actually dead and can't reproduce. But the immune system is extremely complicated (why do some people have allergies?) and it can set off a cascade of reactions that in some rare cases, can be very serious.


Steve

[Watis]

As far as I remember, most - though not all- vaccinations require a short period to check for any immediate side-effects, some of which can be lethal.

I'll be having my flu jab next week and have been told that that I must wait 15 minutes before leaving.

Even when I had my hayfever injections back in the 1970s (totally useless!) , they made me wait a few minutes.

Can't remember being told that with any vaccination I have ever had.

Me neither - until this year!

I was fine, btw.

Watis

[poundcoin]

Our local surgery joined with 2 others in adjacent towns and hired a show ground in a very rural setting to do drive in jabs . How old folk without transport were supposed to get there no idea .

After a bit of argy bargy with web addresses managed to book ours online at the beginning of this month . It was about a 30 minute journey and got there 30 minutes early . No one checked what time we were booked in for and we joined a car queue meandering around various field until we reached the drive through tents being told to not leave the car , apply handbrake and switch off engine . Jab took seconds and then told to exit but there was a waiting area if we felt groggy .

In all must have been about 30 marshals directing vehicles . Immediately after leaving the site the heavens opened , a complete monsoon so bad we had to pull off the road . All those marshals in the fields would have got absolutely drenched , they all probably caught pneumonia and would've needed further medical attention !

Only side effect I have had has been a slightly runny nose since having the jab . Not good when mask wearing !

[bungeejumper]

No one checked what time we were booked in for and we joined a car queue meandering around various field until we reached the drive through tents being told to not leave the car , apply handbrake and switch off engine . Jab took seconds and then told to exit but there was a waiting area if we felt groggy .

In all must have been about 30 marshals directing vehicles .

Fascinating. Sounds like a fully-featured three-ring circus, compared with the one or sometimes two-person system at Sainsburys or Asda. (My doctor's surgery last Saturday had just one doctor and a nurse, and the nurse was probably supernumerary**.) I wonder what kind of patient throughput would be required to justify having more than 30 people on a task like that? Although I'll hazard a guess that most were unpaid volunteers?

BJ

(**Supernumerary nurse - I've learned something new today! In medicine, it means a student nurse on placement, who's sitting in so that she/he can accrue enough hours to gain official registration.)

[scrumpyjack]

Just like Dod, my wife and I had apt at our surgery. No wait before or after, no probs as usual.
Hope the Covid one is similarly simple!

[88V8]

This morning at 0800h. On a Sunday I was mentally wearing my pyjamas.
Localish school - 5 miles - drive-through.

Two local surgeries had combined.

Logistics... letters received, timings to the minute... but people arriving early and nowhere to park.
Marshals not ready at 0800h, chaos soon ensued.
Asked multiple times which surgery, whether over 65.
Given screen label which was then ignored.
Directed to wrong bay.
Staff running back and forth because the kit and jabs were in another bay.
Raining.
Felt sorry for the staff.

Perhaps better next year.

V8

[robbelg]

Exactly a month ago I posted about my experience getting a flu jab.

Today I received a letter from the NHS encouraging me to get a flu jab.

Rob

Moderator Message:
New topic merged into original flu-topic to help maintain the flow of the original conversation....Itsallaguess

[UncleEbenezer]

Since your previous thread I've asked both my GP and my pharmacy.

No flu jabs available. What chance this mega-rollout of covid vacs when they can't even manage a routine hitherto-annual flu programme?

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Had my flu jab today.

I wasn't in the building longer than 2 minutes

AiY

[bungeejumper]

Exactly a month ago I posted about my experience getting a flu jab.

Today I received a letter from the NHS encouraging me to get a flu jab

Oh well, at least they're making double sure that you're getting the jab. Although being jabbed twice might not be the best thing to happen. Suppose you had a poor memory and you turned up twice - would they spot it?

It does make you wonder else is/isn't in their records, though? Decades ago, I was asked whether I'd ever smoked, and I responded that I'd puffed away for five years in my twenties, but that I'd kicked the habit in 1976. Every so often, I still get asked how my battle against the evil weed is going, and whether I need any help or support?

BJ

[absolutezero]

I had my flu jab this time last week.
Under 65 version at the local pharmacy for £12.99.
No problems in getting an appointment.
No nasty side effects. Bit of a blocked nose but that's probably nothing to do with the jab.