Question for those who have had or about to have the vaccine.

Seiko, I understand you will stay under observation for 15 minutes after you get the jab, It is extremely unusual for anyone to get any severe reaction after the vaccine. No animal products are in the vaccine.

An answer to two questions-
sector nine - have heart valve problem. Had Pfizer. Arm sore-ish for two days.

I was notified by phone 2-3 days ahead. Husband and I were 40 minutes apart but were told to go in together. Just a conveyor belt system.

I am nervous about having the vaccine as I have a few allergies Asthma and Kidney disease I am going to have it though after thinking hard and long about it.
My sister is a Domestic at our local hospital she carries an epi pen the Dr who was giving the vaccines to the Hospital workers sent her away and told her to wait for the Astra Zeneca jab.
Yet she had a whole load of vaccinations when she went to Malawi with her Church.
I worry about her and wish she didn't have to work she will be 61 in March.

My youngest son (17) was told by his consultant that he is to be added to the clinically vulnerable list- a relief for he & I as he can then study from home even when others (except clinically vulnerable) return to college, as he has several underlying health issues, but this was at beginning of december & seems to be taking a while- im so worried now that if he's not already on list he will be missed for this intake of the vaccine.

My husband and I are in West Lancashire.

The unit phoned his mobile last week, for an appointment 10 miles away. While she had finished booking OH's appointment, I asked could I have an appointment at a similar time. We are both in our mid - late 70s, and the assistant agreed.

The appointments were around 8 miles away, for the next day. We were given the Pfizer vaccine and they said we would be re-contacted within 10 to 12 weeks for the booster.

Quite unexpectedly had a call from our doctors surgery asking if we would like the vaccine and offering an appointment for 16th December. It was at our local medical centre, not our doctors, and was the second day they started giving them in our area. We then had a second vaccination on 6th January. Was very surprised, and pleased, to be called and to get the second injection.

Paperbackwriter

WOODMOUSE49 If you worry that you will miss a call on your landline by working outside, just dial 1471 each time you come in to see if you've missed anything.
Cornwall has been very keen to keep 'outsiders' off the premises to the point of serious hostility, which I hate, but on the upside it means you are at very low risk of infection compared with everyone else. Swings/roundabouts. I'm sure you'll get plenty of vaccine in due course.

I find this comment very offensive.

Yes , Cornwall has wanted to keep the virus out. What do you consider 'serious hostility'? There were reports of people from Tiers 3 and 4 coming here. We should just welcome them with open arms according to you.

Cornwall has the highest rise in infection now in the southwest. Ok it is not as high as the rest of England. Our cases have increased massively e.g 822% in people aged 70 to 74 and 1,032% in people aged 90 or over recently, Our only hospital has just reported they have had an increase of cases 14 times the number from just a month ago.

Our one hospital in the whole county that can take covid cases only has 12 ICU beds. We have a very stretched air ambulance service that would not cope with getting covid patients to another hospital that could take them.

There are two surgeries about 10 miles from me. One still hasn't received and started to give the vaccines.

Isle of Scilly have been successful in keeping the virus away from the Islands. People have been turned away from Penzance/Lands End airports after staff found they were from Tier 3 and 4 areas.

What area do you live in CORNERGRAN? I want to move there. Myhusband had first shot 2 weeks ago and just had second cancelled.

JaneRn unfortunately not so simple for my mum. She has dementia, completely immobile, is totally dependent on care (should be in full time care really) so a trip in a mini bus would be quite out of the question.

sector9
Sorry I meant to say The vaccine is not a live or dead vaccine It boosts your T cells thereby helping your immune system fight the corona virus.
"How the Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Works
By Jonathan Corum and Carl ZimmerUpdated Jan. 11, 2021" is a really good article to read.

Leolady73

A doctor on behalf of Drinkaware has said that we should not drink alcohol for two days before and two weeks after having the Covid vaccine as this could interfere with the immunity! Does the Government know?

* *Scaremongering alert* *

Not you Leolady73, but the whole "alcohol will render the vaccine ineffective" story.

The advice was for heavy drinkers in Russia. We really don't need anything else to start worrying about.

www.newscientist.com/article/2262654-should-you-avoid-alcohol-when-getting-a-coronavirus-vaccine/

Greeneyedgirl

My mum is 96 housebound, with carers and I have been notified someone will go and give her vacc today at home. I am so pleased they have not forgotten those who are unable to go to centres.

I had no problem getting to and from the surgery as I live only 20 minutes walk away, but there was a steady stream of Council mini-buses bringing those who had no other way of
getting there, so Somerset has not forgotten them.

Aepgirl

Woodmouse how can you manage with a mobile phone that doesn’t pick up calls, and a landline that only goes to answerphone?

At our age it is important to be able to have contacts in case of emergency.

We are able to use both the landline and mobiles for emergencies. Landline when inside. Mobile when outside.

Hope the following explains our situation:

We are in a very isolated area in Cornwall and spend a huge amount of time outside the cottage unless the weather is bad (cold/wet). We have woodland to manage, we both have workshops outside and I have an extensive productive garden area. Therefore mobile always with me. In these places the signal is great.

We very rarely use the landline and nearly 100% of calls are to our mobiles. I have a recorded message on my mobile that explains our problem and I give reassurance that I get back to callers very quickly.

I'm sure the surgery will leave us a message. I'm at the surgery in a couple of weeks so will check with them what number they will contact us on.
Thanks for your advice Apegirl

Surgeries are meant to be using their usual form of communication with you. My father 89 had a call from the surgery on his landline.

I had a phone call before Christmas offering the vaccination two days hence with an appointment booked for the second three weeks later and I had this last Thursday. No after effects so far.

I had the Pfizer vaccine and assumed I would have to wait twelve weeks for the second, and when I asked why I was getting it in three weeks I was told me it all depended on when you had the first dose and if it was before the new rule came into force you would be treated under the old rule. All very confusing!

I am very relieved and grateful to have had it as I have serious doubts about whether there will be sufficient supplies to proceed even after twelve weeks and already there is talk of shortages.

I also wonder if, after vaccinating the entire population by the autumn, which is being suggested, the logistics will still be there to start again. We can only hope.

My mum is 96 housebound, with carers and I have been notified someone will go and give her vacc today at home. I am so pleased they have not forgotten those who are unable to go to centres.

I hope my notification will be email or letter. Sometimes the diction of people who telephone me is incomprehensible to me.

I have one such saved message at present awaiting my son to translate it for me, if he can.

My mum (age 76) received call from dr surgery for her & my dad (80) to attend a rugby club for their jabs 2 days later.
Allowed to be done together. Long wait but they were just happy to be done. This is Somerset

There was a piece in our newspaper a few days ago mentioning that alcohol consumed in the days before and after the jab could render the vaccination ineffective.

I wish that fact had been mentioned more prominently.

My circular letter says 'You do not have to do anything - we will contact you. Do not get in touch with your GP'. It doesn't say how it will contact me. Letter, I hope because the circular at least arrived safely. Fingers crossed.......

Leolady73

A doctor on behalf of Drinkaware has said that we should not drink alcohol for two days before and two weeks after having the Covid vaccine as this could interfere with the immunity! Does the Government know?

That's a very good point.

25Avalon

Woodmouse49 as it is a landline have you registered for BT’s 1571 answering service? It used to be free. Not sure if it still is.

We used have it and always paid. Decided a year ago to cancel it to save some money.

sector9
I have multiple lung problem I 've had the Pfizer vaccine. Absolutely no problems.

We live in West Yorkshire. Received a mobile text message on 8th Jan to ring surgery to book for an apt for vaccine jab.
Rang surgery 11th Jan and a recorded surgery message mentioned “alert anyone over 72 to come forward to book their jab”.
I am 73 and my H is 74. He is “vulnerable” yet he didn’t receive a message at all.
We are both booked to have our jabs on Wed 13th Jan.Appointments are 40mins apart as we didn’t want to make two separate journeys by car. We shall have to travel about 3 miles across the city to another surgery which is larger than ours.

Some 80+year old friends in rural North Somerset & Devon had their vaccines in December and have just had their second ones after three weeks.
However, my 86 year old invalid sister who lives on her own in Surrey hasn’t been contacted at all...yet....

I find it odd that 70plus people are being given it in certain parts of the country.

Surely they haven’t finished doing the over the 80’s yet.