Have you had problems getting the booster jab?

[Claire_Mencap]

Do you have a learning disability and are you struggling to get a booster jab? Or do you support someone with a learning disability who is struggling to get their booster? We have become aware of issues with people with a learning disability getting access to their booster and want to raise this in the media. If you have a story to tell and would be open to speaking to the media, please comment here.

[LDAutie]

i do have learning disability, autism and epilepsy and i am on the learning disability list. however i havent had trouble with getting the booster,its more the acess issues around it- i woudnt be able to have it done at my doctors surgery for example.

so a bit of background.

i am 37 and was offered the booster early enough which was helpful for my mum as she has being going through bladder cancer now for several years (in fact got diagnosed right before lockdown and her start for chemo and radio therapy treatment was held off due to backlog) and my dad has a lot less agressive cancer-so both of them were very in need for me to get all the injections to make sure i didnt get covid with my complex needs-or they then get covid19 easily from me if i was to get it from my staff but my staff get constantly tested.

a rule put in place by my dad-i wasnt going to be allowed to go to their house-part of my routine almost every day until i had all the injections done,up to that point i had been waiting for the 'up the nose' version, as i get my flu injection that way.

i had to go through a lot of preparing in advance such as the use of specific schedules and getting syringes off the doctor to touch and practice with and brought along sensory toys with me for distraction,i was given 5mg of my PRN diazepam,we went to the everest chemist instead of the doctors as it is more easier to access as im also physicaly disabled and use a wheelchair.my staff phoned the people in the chemist in advance,explained my needs/difficulties and asked if i coud be found a quiet place to wait in the chemist and i was skipped ahead of a massive cue and given the next slot. there were two people and my staff , the chemist staff were very nice and did it so quick and we were asked to stay for 15 minutes but we went early because i coudnt cope any longer.

problem with that chemist-they dont usualy let disabled people 'skip' the cue when asked in advance -i saw a man on a mobility scooter left sat outside of the empty tent and a cue as long as the road behind him-all in the pouring rain,but they know my service and me very well so i can imagine a lot of not local learning disabled people being expected to wait.

plus a lot of learning disabled people are just never going to be able to cope with the injection at all though so they need to put more funding into this 'up the nose' version,ive heard theyre developing a air pressure version whhere it shoots it through using air pressure and not needle-it wont work on everyone-i have this for any basic look of my mouth as i have a very sensitive mouth and it feels just like a needle and it isnt instant-i end up kicking out and hitting out but my dentist is a learning disability community dentist and is trained and will stop for a while and distract me and then try a little bit more but not as hard-just takes longer.

sorry didnt mean for my post to be this long,i have no short term memory due to my epilepsy.

[Claire_Mencap in reply to LDAutie]

Thank you very much for sharing your story, and I'm really pleased that you have been able to get the booster and have had a positive experience. Stay safe and take care.

[Eeviee]

Hi. I have had no problem getting any vaccinations or the booster for my son. The service has been great. They arranged each time to come to the house and this really helped manage my sons anxiety. I can’t speak more highly of the service my son received.

[Claire_Mencap in reply to Eeviee]

That's really great to hear Eeviee, I'm glad you and your son have gotten the support you deserve.

[KM4DM]

In Bradford my sister's GP appears to have given up on trying to persuade her to get the vaccine at all. She has Down's Syndrome & lacks capacity to make healthcare decisions. The GP visited twice last year, got told to go away, & despite pestering from family has still not referred her to a specialist de-sensitisation service that we understand is available from the NHS LD team in her area. She is also clinically extremely vulnerable due to obesity and sleep apnoea so we are really upset that she's not getting professional support with this.

[Claire_Mencap]

Hi there, I'm sorry to hear about the issues you're facing with your sister and the lack of support she's getting. If you would like information or advice about getting the vaccine and routes of support to help your sister get it, you can contact our helpline which is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm. The number is 0808 808 1111 or email [e-mail]. I really hope your sister can get her vaccine soon. Thank you, Claire