Went for my booster jab today and expected to be in an out in a few minutes like I did before. However, when I got there, there was an enormous queue. They seem to have booked us oldies in but then there were all the drop in people there as well. It took about three quarters of an hour to get seen. I thought afterwards that they should have had a separate queue for the elderly people. I was alright but if I had had AF I might not have felt so good.
Looking on the bright side it was good that so many people were getting vaccinated. They had started at 8.30 and they hadn't stopped. I wonder how many they did today.
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Physalis
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Its just a bit of weird humour from my days in Oz .... basically saying one day you are on top of the world and next day you are not .... and yours was a not day. Anyway, hope your booster jab went OK. My surgery hasn't yet contacted me for mine. Maybe my surgery thinks that even though I'm 77 and still working ( now doing 4 days a week of around 42 hours a week because we are short of bus drivers and trying to avoid cutting services) that I'm not vulnerable.
John hope you get notice of your booster soon. Congrats on still being able to work. I was in the military for 37 years and had all my heavy goods vehicle licences, public transport - but not dangerous goods licences and kept up with the medicals until about 6 years ago when my Doc questioned me about them ie would I really want to drive something that large and would I actually be able to sit in a cab for hours on end considering my back and neck injuries. Though I am sure most vehicles are much more comforatable and easier to drive now than they used to be. Now, even though I am a little older than you I keep thinking well maybe I could have helped out with the driver shortage doing shorter runs as we have a company near us who have lost 60% of their drivers this year: a combination of retirement, covid complications and EU drivers going home apparently. Funnily enough I still love driving though I swear more now than I did when some idiot does something stupid - especially on roundabouts!
Thanks for your comments. Yep, I sure understand about back and neck issues, I keep my Chiropractor in business although these bits and bobs are nowhere near as bad as they once were, my biggest issue is a dodgy right Sacroilliac joint and that's what upsets me with prolonged sitting. I guess compared to HGV guys and gals, bus drivers are spoilt as most trips have a turn around time at the end of each trip (even if the trip of 25 miles requires sitting for around 80 minutes) of up to 10 minutes so there is the opportunity of getting up and walking around. The latest models usually have a reversing camera and depending on how much the bus company is prepare to spend, heated mirrors. Not a big issue down here in Cornwall but it would be up in the Borders in winter. The new ones will also turn on a sixpence one handed, the steering geometry is absolutely brilliant. I do enjoy the work, enjoy driving, enjoy some passengers and can have some great laughs and it is great to help other folk who are not as fortunate as I, especially those in remote areas. Mind you I have also accepted I am living a bonus life, one day there will be a STOP sign !I also think its necessary to continue using the brain for as long as possible .... use it or lose it comes to mind and saying that I am thinking of my mother who had Alzheimers diagnosed at 58 and died at 72 and my brother inlaw who is much younger than me who has vascular dementia. He came to retirement and just stopped.
Enjoy your retirement years young man and don't regret too much about not driving. Many think I am insane, normally I only do 3 days a week so have heaps of time for other interests but in these difficult times I have offered to help out by doing an extra day. Its a case of organising my off duty hours to relax as much as possible.
We have not had our boosters yet. When I asked if it was because they wanted to do the flu vaccination at the same time they said it was and it it would be in about two weeks. That was just over a week ago.
Did your Covid appointment come from VMC ?So they have the Flu vaccine. The person I spoke to said that they had a memo from management that the flu ones were in two weeks.We had texts and E-Mails from the government department saying to book the Covid ones ourselves if we had not had them. We held off as we wanted both together
I responded to the government email not expecting that it would list the VMC but it did and I booked it for a few days later. My appointment was 11.10, joined the queue at 11 and was seen at 11.45. Because I was with the VMC I could have had a flu vaccine too.
They pay £8.4 million for the new building and now they're in the shopping centre too. Wonder how it will work with all the stuff they are going to put in the Beacon?
"additional lifestyle options including prescriptions for tai chi and access to a chef to advise on healthy eating ". Really!
Would help if they got their telephone answering system sorted first.
We have changed from VMC at Victoria Drive to the one in the Beacon. We are losing our good doctor who we have had for 16 years but the travelling would have been too much and would have had to be by taxi and we can still just abour walk to the Beacon. The doctor at the Beacon is from the Green Street practice. Athough part of VMC it is being run as a separate unit and you can only go it once you sign up.
That's very useful to know. I can use either by getting off the bus by the new building or carrying on to the Beacon. I will have to find where my doctor is based. However, on balance, the VMC should be better as it will not be full of university students.
You could get the bus from the bottom of Southfields Road to the VMC. Might be worth going up there and having a look at the new building inside. I will do that when the cases of covid go down sufficiently.
I spoken to some people who have been to Victoria drive and they wre quite impressed. Busses are difficult for us as we both now use rollators. It is a doctor Hutchinson from Green street at the Beacon.
I was surprised when they said 1500 students. If they are Brighton ones all the Brghton university buidings are moving to a new site in Falmer in three years according to an article in the Herald.
Taxis are not always that reliable at certain times of school runs morning and night.Even this week with mid term, I phoned for one at 1.20 to go to podiatry at the leaf hospital for 1.45. With 726 it ran for ages befor cutting off. Next time told that there is a long wait. Tried 720 who said they would get there as soon as they could, When leaving around 3.40 another patient using 720 was told 20 to 25 minutes. I called 726 and told at least 20 minutes although he did turn up sooner. Fridays are always bad and we have had 40 minute waits on ocasion. I had to cancel a recent appointment somewhere. Mostly now we book in advance. Of course now with Covid you aret old not get there early.
I gave my car to one of my granddaughters about seven or eight years ago. I thought that, with the £400 a year I'd save, I could take taxis. I've only taken two so I haven't got much experience of using them.
I let it go because I was hardly ever using it. I preferred going on the buses and it was free. A new resident who is four years younger than me said 'Oh dear, that's what's coming along the line'. I felt like saying 'hang on, I could still drive a car if I wanted to!'
But I don't. I'm going green and my son has been taking me to appointments etc in his electric car. At the moment the Zoe Covid app says there are 1177 active COVID cases in my area. When that goes down again I will be back waiting at the bus stop.
We have always been careful and have not been on a bus since February last year. same with shops until a couple of weeks ago when we ventured into three. We keep delivery vans busy. We have also worn rubber gloves to save touching surfaces. Seeing them also reminds us not to touch our face.Living one street back from the prom we have no problem getting fresh air without getting too near people.
I got there for my first jab and was told the queue would take 2-3 hours even though I had an appointment. I walked out and rebooked. For the next appointment I was actually in AF, told the reception people and was directed straight through, all done in 25 mins. For my second vax there wasn't a queue so again 25 mins, all done.
Lucky you no one here has heard anything other than the fact that our gP's are not doing it. Yes. you would think that the had a seperate queue for old and infirm or those that actually had an appointment. Same thing happened at my first jab when we oldies and disabled were queuing out in the wind and rain I was stood - mostly outside for an hour and a half along with people in wheelchairs or on crutches. When we got inside we found there were only 2 people doing the jabs and they were also reading out all the guff to you before hand - would have made more sense to have other non medical staff who were marshalling the queues to read that out to you as you entered the building. Second jab they had cracked that and it was quick and easy with help from military personnel. I wonder what awaits me when I go for booster will they be organised? Can't wait to find out!
We had this problem with a flu jab last Thursday, it was cold with heavy rain. When we got there the queue was that long at 9.30am. We went away, what I didn’t understand is why was there lots of young people in the queue when for two days the were only giving flu jabs to the elderly. We are in our early 80’s. We went back 30 minutes before closing and the queue was very short, but still took a long time as the staff were taking a tea break. But we got it done in the end. My wife had no after effects, but I developed a very sore badly bruised arm and still got it nearly a week later.
I should have added that they changed it to by appointment only from the next day. We have just been requested to make our booster appointments by text.
My immune system is not in bad shape, I haven't had a cold for ages or flu or anything else for that matter.
Just because, in an extremely small number of cases, some people develop blood clots is no reason not to have the vaccine. You haven't been reading what Covid19 does to people's lungs. Not everyone but quite a number get lots of blood clots in their lungs and that's why they need ventilating and some of them are still dying.
The vast majority of those dying now have not been vaccinated. If you don't want the vaccine you can't say you haven't been warned.
What is your truth? It's a bit like religion. People believe in quite a few gods and they all believe that their version is the truth. Have I hurt myself? No, I haven't.
The truth, as I see it, is that I have had three doses of the vaccine and I am well and, if I get infected, I am much less likely to be hospitalised and much less likely to die. Most people can understand the figures, they don't lie.
Of course it's just a bad cold or like flu for the majority of people. Some people don't even know they've had it. However, there are a small minority, more in my age group, who are much more badly affected and it can last for many months. A percentage of these people die.
Of course people die of flu every year but there would be more if we didn't have the flu jab. Millions died in the Spanish flu epidemic of 1919. People die of all sorts of things. The trouble with Covid at the start was that it was a new virus and thousands were ending up in hospital and thousands were dying of it. It was taking over our hospitals. It was the vaccines that enabled us to get on top of it.
I'm not worried about the people like you who won't take it, there's more for everyone else. I'm slightly more worried about the rubbish you and people like you spout about it all being a hoax.
No. I'm older, and have read books about how bad vaccines are. As well, I read many independent websites to find the truth. I don't trust Johnson, or Biden. If you start to have symptoms, or feeling unusual, please get those tests. If not, good for you!
I'm a youngster. Only 76. Apart from Asymptomatic permanent AF, asthma, lymphoedema in my lower legs and foot drop in my right leg, I'm fine. I will be getting my annual 'flu jab soon. My medical condition do not normally get in the way of life, although I can no longer drive because of the foot drop. You see much more of the countryside when you travel by 'bus.
When we talk of religion, well, what is the truth, the truth of what is happening , or what has happened takes years to come out. I have never had the flu vaccine as I always have been led to believe it's a virus so go home and take a panadol. No point going to the GP with the flu. So when covid came into play I have sat back and watched and read etc, I have health problems that worried me and was told to have the phizer. My husband has had one vaccine and is AOK. I stay at home, no need to travel, my life. I may have the vaccine but I need to feel right about it. At the moment still hesitant. Stay safe.
We eventually had our booster jabs yesterday October 28th. We had texts from the government on October 2nd saying that if we had not already had them to book them online or by phoning 119. As VMC had given us dates for our first and second jabs we assumed that would happen again. I phoned and asked if they were waiting to offer us the Flu vaccine at the same time and they said that they would be doing that in a fortnight and we would a letter or text as before. After two weeks they said that they would be sent out the following week. Then they told me that we would have to arrange them ourselves as although being done at the Beacon the government were now running it. On doing that the only site offered in Eastbourne was at Wartling Road for November 11th for my wife and the 18th for myself.
VMC then told me that our first option was for walk in from 8.30 to 11 am on Tuesday the 26th. I looked at the site daily and on Monday they had several dates at the Beacon from the 28th. We each got one for 10.50. On getting there was quite a long queue outside as they said they were running 45 minutes late with a second queue to join the first one. It took 50 minutes to be seen. They had provided a few chairs for those unable to stand.
There was a sign it had been for walk in patients from 8.30 to 10am. They said that as VMC patients we could have our Flu vaccine at the same time.
Yes, that was my experience too, 45 minutes to get in. I had expected to get a text from the VMC but when I got the government email I thought I would look out of curiosity and was surprised to see the Beacon there.
They seem disappointed that the booster jabs are not going fast enough but they are being mixed up with all the younger people. Glad they had got round to providing chairs for us older people.
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