Regular readers will have heard me banging on about getting the third primary vaccine. After reading on this site and advice from the Administrator here I contacted my GP. Receptionist told me there was no such thing. After her taking my advice and speaking to a GP she agreed there was one and said “Nothing to do with us!” and left it at that. When I asked for an explanation she said I had to phone the Mass Vaccination Centre as they gave me the other vaccines. I phoned them and a really nice man said that if my due date for the booster was up he would book me in and give me the 3rd instead but he couldn’t. I phoned the Rheumatology specialist nurse (have to leave a message and they respond - or not - within 48 hours). Towards the end of the next day she phoned- she was amazing. She said that I had clearly been in flare up and needed to see the consultant. She then said she would phone the vaccination centre. In the afternoon she phoned back and said she had contacted them and told them I was eligible and they would write to me when my due date for the booster was up and they would do the 3rd. Are you still with me????? So on Saturday I got a letter telling me I had a covid vaccine on 5th. I phoned to check it was the 3rd vaccine. What a palaver! The young man I spoke to told me I was having the booster. I said I was due the 3rd vaccine. “There is no 3rd vaccine there’s just 2 and the booster and that is what you are having”. I explained that there is a 3rd and I expected someone from the centre to know that. I also explained why I needed it. He took my date of birth and name and said I had not been identified as needing anything extra. I explained the nurse had rung. Nope. Nothing on the record. I asked to speak to someone else who may be able to help me with the problem. No, there was nobody to speak to, I was having the booster. I ended up in tears at the frustration so rather stupidly said “oh so we’ll just forget about it shall we and I’ll just die” (drama queen but in my defence I had fallen again that morning and was feeling sorry for myself). His response was “Okay then”. I just put the phone down. On Monday I phoned again and spoke to a lovely lady who actually listened. She said that their clinical lead has the authority to authorise the third primary if I meet the criteria. She asked my meds, was only interested in the steroids, put me on hold for a few minutes, came back and said, “yes that’s fine, let’s get you booked in for your 3rd primary. You can’t keep the original appointment because we are only doing boosters that day. The dates for the 3rd primary are—- and gave me the dates. So I thought I would share this in case anyone is struggling to get listened to. We shouldn’t have to fight like this but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Finally got a booking for the third Primary Covid... - LUPUS UK
Finally got a booking for the third Primary Covid Vaccine but boy what a challenge!
I hope the young man can be identified - because he obviously missed part of the callcentre training!!! But it really is ridiculous that patients are more up to speed than their centres and the GPs
especially bad as it's hardly a secret with it being all over the news.
You'd think. No doubt they will claim they are too busy to watch the news ...
congratulations 👏👏. I have taken another tack and took the booster as it was pfizer and supposed to be the same dose as a 3rd vaccine. I have an appointment with a rheumy registrar this week, face to face wooooo, so hope I may get some help there. won't hold my breath though.
Yes I’ve got an appointment face to face on 6th. I am going to make a list of what has happened as advised by people on this forum otherwise you forget what has happened over the period since you saw them last. I have also taken photos of things, rashes, lumps, swelling etc. I have had two falls in the last three weeks. Don’t know what the hell is happening to me. ! This is Saturdays adventure outcome.
ouch. I get bruises on the soles of my feet, no idea why. never when I have an appointment and they don't show up on photos. you have a lot of bruises. virtual hugs only.
Bruise left ankle
Oh poor poor you a thousand gentle hugs to you hug
Thank you. I am in so much pain still. My ribs are so bad they have kept me awake all night where I had to sit up in bed with pillows. The left ankle is so swollen and it looks as if there is something lurking under the skin like puss but there is no broken surface? I went up to the town centre on my scooter today in my slippers because my shoes don’t fit. No bra because of my ribs. I was inside one of those cosy bags so nobody could see. What a state of affairs. I don’t know why I keep falling lately. X
I too had a fall last week, entirely someone else's fault, but badly bruised. Spoke to GP on the phone as bruising under the ribs is very painful. Not interested, but she did comment that steroids make you bruise more easily. Re booster/3rd dose, I went for my booster and was asked why I wasn't having the third dose. I had to explain that I'm not eligible due to not being on pred for my 1st 2 doses. I was assured that the 3rd dose and the booster are exactly the same.However I am now concerned that I also won't be eligible for the 4th dose mentioned on the news recently.
It would seem that not all booster and 3rd doses are the same. It depends which make of booster you had. And I agree, you will probably have difficulty getting the fourth but it’s worth pushing.
Just read the really useful article on the covid vaccine posted on this site. I copied this bit: "The NHS plans to retrospectively correct patient records so that the correct vaccine dose is listed. This means that your “booster” dose will be reclassified as a third primary dose on your patient record. You will be eligible for a booster (fourth) dose, three months after you had your third dose."
Congratulations! I got as far as the vaccination centre and the hcw doing my injection agreed I needed the third dose but she would have to clear it with the nurse in charge. She agreed it looked as if I qualified but I didn’t have a letter specifying that so she wouldn’t authorise it, I showed her a list of my meds and the fact I’d been called ahead of my age group as I was vulnerable but she wouldn’t budge. Booster or nothing until I had a letter from my consultant. Rather than wait I took the booster
It’s so bad that they are so uninformed. Perhaps there are different rules for different countries in the UK, but each country should make sure staff are fully aware. As I said earlier, both the GP receptionist (that font of all knowledge with super psychic abilities that knows what’s wrong with you before you see the GP - and yes that was sarcasm!) and the man at the mass vaccination centre were adamant there was no third primary. X
Glad you finally got it sorted. It really is a shambles.
Well done for still being sane and rational after all that!
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