11.55am My phone rings and it is Nursey, (Mike's OH) If you want your booster and flu get down here NOW as the clinic is very quiet and we have Pfizer going to waste.
12.25 I'm home again and everything is fine. Really don't know what
the fuss is
all
about.
!
Well bully for you sport !!!
I have had nothing but a deathly silence from my surgery. So me, being me, I phoned and asked them what plans they had for Flu and CoVid booster jabs for old and vulnerable gits like me. I was told in no uncertain terms that I'll be invited for the booster nearer the time and the earliest they could do a flu jab was 12 November.
So, I'll settle for cataract surgery on Monday at £2600. Private.
No good waiting for NHS to offer me an appointment. Be blind by then!
Huh!
John
😱😱😂😂
#2 son's other half is a vaccinator so when they saw some surplus not being taken up she rang me. Organisation is rubbish as last week they were running an hour and a half late and this week they haven't enough customers. I had same response from my surgery when I rang but its not what you know but who! See that system? Here's a coach and horses.
Immediately on receipt of a text message invitation for a flu jab I telephoned the surgery and I waited in a queue on the phone for over an hour (that's typical for any phone call to our surgery in North Cornwall) only to be told they were all gone hours earlier & no known date for the next delivery. I did ask why send out a text to me but I didn't get a satisfactory answer. This is the second time this has happened. My husband got 2 appts for his but I can't pinch his because he's over 65 and I'm under 65. Grrr!
Got mine tomorrow - you beat me to it! Don't know what the fuss is about either - I would run for mine - had very bad flu once and glad to be here to tell you. Terrible virus. We need all the protection we can get this winter. Go get it with THANKS that we are being looked after.
Oh glad your ok my sister had hers yesterday woke up this morning with a temperature shivers aches she said even her teeth ache got mine next week hope it behaves
I had my booster yesterday (Thursday) and almost cancelled it because I went into P-AF at 9pm on Wednesday and didn't think I would be back to normal by Thursday morning and fit to drive. Since being on Flecainide my episodes lasted 20 hours, I was relieved to find since I stopped taking Flecainide I am back to 12 hour episodes so I was able to go.
I ache all over today but that is a small price to pay for the possibility of avoiding severe Covid and nothing like the bad reaction I had after the second vaccination.
Over here in France they have turned their backs on Astra Zeneca which is the jab I had ( with no side effects whatsoever). I would have preferred to have it again but I shall be offered Pfizer as the booster. Has anyone experience of mixing the two?
Hi, I also had 2 AZ jabs but will be offered Pfizer or Moderna for my booster. I think they are now recommending a mix and match approach for all and to be honest I'll just be glad to have whatever they offer. Also just had a shingles jab in one arm and a flu jab in the other so beginning to feel a bit like a pin cushion! At least the AF is at bay which is just as well as I'm off for my catarract pre op assessment today having only been referred for it in Thursday this week (NHS) with the surgery planned for about 3wks. (, so I think it must be a postcode lottery John) !!
Haha! yes a pin cushion is a very apt description 😊. Glad your heart is behaving under this needle assault. Take care and hope your eye operation goes well!
Hi, I had a pre op cataract assessment 4 months ago. Was told I would get a letter in the post with a date for surgery. Still waiting. As carneuny says in the top post I think I’ll be blind by then.Hope you have better luck than me!!
Hiya Purpletara,That's exactly why I decided to go private PLUS my bus driving licence expires on 21 October and although I can continue driving after that date when DVLA wake up and read my opticians driving licence renewal application assessment they'll almost certainly revoke my licence.
John
Hi John, I can see why you chose to pay. If I could afford it I would have done the same but unfortunately I have a dog which has had to have cancer surgery and because she is a rescue my insurance company wouldn’t pay. They said it was a pre existing condition. Cataract surgery on a pensioner who doesn’t go far against giving my dog a few more years- no contest! Hope all goes well on Monday.
Take care and stay safe.
Ruth.
You have a whole new world out there waiting for you when your eyes are done - I had lens replacements a few years ago to avoid wearing stronger and stronger glasses and was told then I had the beginning of cataracts. The difference in my eyesight was like a miracle to me - best thing I ever did.
Angie .... all I can say is ....wow! 3 weeks ! Amazing. Good for you. My surgeon insists on a CoVid test and 3 days self isolating prior to surgery on Monday. Sorted! I may or may not get the result as my surgeon requested it the result will be sent to him John
🤢 that’s envy not sickness! I was referred for cataract surgery before Covid (bC!), had one eye done - the one which is half blind, been told I have another 6 month wait for other eye.
Hiya Buff,
I only told half the story .... I was originally diagnosed with a cataract issue in March 2021. Was told its not serious enough for NHS, go away and come back in Sept 2021. Well I've done that and they cannot give me a date - in fact - I've had no communication at all.
My vision is now pretty crap ... amazingly I can judge, speed, distance, negotiating through traffic BUT I now can hardly read. Big street signs are fine not so, little ones. Newspapers, books, magazines are almost impossible. I've even had to improve magnification on my laptop !!
John
I thought I was replying to Angie - I was thinking of going private but life has thrown a couple of bombs at us so can’t plan too much at the moment. I gave up driving because of episodes of presyncope but haven’t had one for ages and I need my license back.
Hi there,We were lucky enough to get our flu jabs on September 9. We saw a notice in the local pharmacy as we went to collect our repeat prescriptions. I felt cheeky asking but wham, we were booked in for the next day. Luckily for us we because we then travelled to France and were exposed to a nasty flu bug. I was off for a few days with mild symptoms but NOTHING like a full blown case of flu.
Also, despite the horrors of Brexit, they are going to give us our booster covid19 jabs next week in the local salle d’union. It will be Pfizer since they seem not to use AZ anymore despite the wrangling earlier between the EU and AZ.
My advice is to try your local pharmacy for your jabs.
Hi yes I went back to my pharmacy who gave me the AZ jabs and they said "AZ c'est finit en France"( AZ is finished in France) and if when I visit the UK I get a AZ booster it won't count in France. Just wondered if anyone on this forum has already mixed the jabs 🤔 Let me know how it goes for you!
Take care x
Pharmacies usually offer Moderna as well - our local one did as well as Janssen but that has been discontinued since I got it in August.
Hello Lily 
my first two vaccinations were Astra Zeneca the booster was Pfizer.
Research has shown that by mixing the two different types of vaccine ( viral vector and genetic) a better immune response is produced .
I am fine after my booster of Pfizer on Thursday
Great news! No heart wobbles? Just a bit concerned with Pfizer about setting off a bout of Afib ( my comes and goes - of its on accord) that hangs around. I think a couple of people have mentioned this on the forum. Of course it's still better than COVID 😊
Hi Lily the Pfizer booster has been fine, it was the second dose of Astra Zeneca that caused me problems . I was happy to have a different one for the booster.
Same here. My second AZ caused a bit of a wobble for a couple of days. TBO it felt more like pronounced ectopics than Afib.
Same with Janssen. I had my vaccination on 25 th August and I have already had a recall for a jab with Pfizer. They say now that the Janssen is no good but given the poor performance of Pfizer in Israel where it is the only vaccine offered I can't say I'm tempted. I had no reaction to the Janssen either.
It seems quite early for a booster if your jab was in August? Yes I'm interested in the Janssen as it's the same science as the AZ. Is it easily available here in France? I'll have a chat to my GP.Take care
I think the Janssen has been stopped just like AZ. I read somewhere that there had been a couple of clusters of breakthrough covid infections and they were blaming the Janssen jab. I chose Janssen because it was not a m RNA platform and because it was only one injection. I think they are telling everybody who got Janssen even recently to get a Pfizer booster. When I opted for it in August there was no problem getting it.
I'm quite interested in the Novavax vaccine which is one to watch here in France. I'm not due the booster until December according to the mail I received and by then there maybe newer information . If not I suppose it'll be the Pfizer. Will you have it?
No definitely not. I will wait until the more traditional vaccines that are in the pipeline become available. There is virtually no virus circulation in this part of France and we hardly go out anyway.
I tend to agree with you. I try to keep up to date on what is in the pipeline too.
I was told that if we had the Pfizer originally, then we would be give Pfizer or Moderna, BUT anyone who had Astra Zeneca would also have to have Pfizer or Moderna as they had MRNA in it which was an important "ingredient" (my layman's term as is mRNA).
That does not make sense. The mRNA is the delivery system which provokes our cells to make the spike protein. The AZ and Janssen vaccines use a different delivery system - a viral vector but the end result is the same.
I don’t know to be truthful as I was only repeating what the main doctor in the vacs centre told me. He wasn't a nurse or a helper, but the main msn there. Hope I didn’t worry anyone but I do know snd aware of what he definitely said. All the best.
That's good to hear. I had a small effect first time, none the second do hope that it'll be the same experience for my booster. Meanwhile in Wales we may be some time...
Good for you.
Had flu jab by GP in September.
Easy to access Covid boosters in our area, if 6 months since second jab - maybe trynhs.uk/book-covid-booster or call 119 to book.
This other number may only work in Sussex area but maybe worth trying?
the booking hub on 0300 303 8060
I got text from nhs with link to book booster and two days later text from Gp to book! Two options when some haven’t one. Madness!!
We had the same experience. Sat am…surgery phoned. We were due to have jabs on the Monday but they had a cancellation …so down we went. Surgery thanked us profusely for going at short notice. I had a reaction and felt very off colour for a couple of days but am fine now. Grateful.
The Pfizer is very unstable so has to be used in a set time frame . There are ten jabs per vial and if customers start to run out they risk wasting any not used as they can't be re-frozen. Last week because it was the halt and lame attending they were running nearly two hours late by end of day but this week most attending can at least function so are moving through much faster. Add in slow booking by many GP surgeries and they often have staff standing around looking hopefully for "victims." They sent Nursey home an hour early yesterday as I was pretty much the last in the hall.
Hi Bob I just had an ablation three weeks ago and touch wood so far nothing. No AF and very little palpitations/ectopic. Some people are saying covid jab started AF again - what do you think I am due booster in a few weeks.
Covid would be worse. Despite what you may read few people have much of a problem. It is always the minority who make the most noise.
I have a heavy arm this morning and a painful lower back but I was lifting heavy engine parts out of a packing case yesterday so can't blame either jab for that. lol 😁
Thanks so much for that Bob you always give such sensible advice. So you think it unlikely it would trigger my AF again? I had no reaction at all to both my jabs but I would fall apart if my AF returned my QOL is amazing post ablation.
Bob I am probably one of the minority you mention.Convinced 1st AZ sent me into Persistent AF.2nd no probs.I posted re my worry having Pfizer & going abroad for a month next week.Well I have booked for tomorrow 6 days before we go.Any idea on stats for heart reactions.I can cope with my irratic heart with my good old Nhs blanket but don't want to have to cancel holiday as hubby is in a bowls comp while we are away.
Flu jab yes, no problem, no mention of booster…..
Flu jab today. Organised online after a text message. Covid booster no news yet but my 6 months is not up until 26 October.
It depends on the availability of the vaccine. Not heard of anyone getting it round here yet. Last year for me was different as I was temporary registered with my sister's doctor who forgot about my flu jab. It meant a five week wait. Covid jabs done by a group of GP surgeries was done elsewhere. My West Yorkshire village GP did Covid jabs but I was in Lincolnshire.
Good on ya Bob.👍👍
I turned up at my surgery for my flu jab yesterday and ended up with a pneumonia and a tetanus jab as well......... did ask her if it was a buy one get two free offer. She said the pneumonia jab was for over 65s. I very quickly informed her , that although I was not wearing make up and my hair could have seen a bit more of the brush that morning, I was nowhere near 60, let alone 65!!!
She then explained I was being offered it due to health not age reasons so my hackles returned to standby again.
Sore and bruised today.
Omgoodness beginning to look like polypharmacy
The fuss is, for two weeks we try to get through on the dedicated booking number, as instructed. Due to unforeseen staff sickness, for two weeks, they can’t answer the phone or ok any appointments. Finally get through to be told they’re experiencing difficulties with delivery of vaccine so can’t make any appointments…… Frustration ++ Now thinking I might try the local pharmacy……
I'm trying to figure out after 2 covid jabs booster jab a neg PCR test,anti bodies coming out of my earoles, I have to wear a mask.
We have both had a our flu jabs as we telephoned as soon as we saw the message on fb from our surgery to say when they were doing them. Others not on FB have been contacted with dates for November - it seems a shame that they didn't also contact them at the same time as the fb message came out as they are usually the elderly - yes older than me (!) and vulnerable. All we know about the Covid booster jab is that our surgery will not be giving them and we have to wait until we get a letter. My son and daughter-in-law have had their boosters - they live in the Reading area.
Had my Booster Tuesday, still feel totally wiped out. Hubby had his also but is fine. Could it be that I'm 8st and he's 14st yet we both received the same amount of vaccine. Seems feasible ?
Good you were able to get it without any fuss! My booster was fuss free too, though I’m in the US, so different procedures. The booster finally did the trick for me. I have an autoimmune condition and reactions to jabs 1 and 2 were muted. I’m in a study through John’s Hopkins that is testing antibodies after each dose, the booster sent my antibodies soaring, hooray. Also had a fever and aches, but those were signs it was working, hooray! Flu jab was no problem. Even had the “senior double dose” jab for the first time. No heart problems from any of them.m
Well Bob, as I commented the other day. I did ring my surgery - must have rattled someone's cage cos I now have had a NHS text offering me a CoVid booster jab this coming Saturday ( 23/10) at 10.10. Amazing innit?John
See earlier reply to Bob where I mentioned cock up at Pharmacy. We’ll just been confirmed by PCR I came away with a jab and Covid! No AF yet!!!!
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