Hallelujah!

[beetle]

After going through the process of taking all the letters to my GP practice as so many of us have I noticed that our medical practice had posted an invitation on Facebook to all over 80s and also clinically extremely vulnerable to book a vaccine. When I phoned I was asked if it was for a booster or third dose! I was pleasantly shocked! She also took a bit longer to book it as she said she had to enter 3rd doses manually - exactly what we’ve been told. I am now booked in for tomorrow

When I gave the letters to the practice I attached one of those bright sticky label things on which I wrote “the official advice from my haematologist was pester my GP”. I don’t know if that made a difference😂

From what people are saying it does seem to make a big difference where you are as to how enlightened your haematologist/GP practice is. Good luck to all who are still in pursuit of the third dose

Jan

[mhos61]

Great news Jan, but what if you were not on Facebook (I’m not)? Anyway, delighted for you.

I’m also booked in for 17 October, but it wasn’t easy. I’ve just looked on my patient portal, and it has been recorded as a ‘Third Primary Dose’ but a note has been made that the system cannot record it as that yet, but that will be rectified in due course.

[amhann in reply to mhos61]

Great news for you both - according to a screen shot from I think the nhs site I quote (soz it’s a long one)! - ‘the third dose if recorded as a booster will be retrospectively amended through national process to ensure that 3rd primary is accurately recorded as such. This will ensure distinction between 3rd dose and booster so individuals are invited for any subsequent dose. Practices not delivering the covid vaccine should identify eligible patients to their CCG by 11th October.’ - the ccg. Is my next point of call next week - if I can wrangle a letter/text put of them I’ll happily trot to a walk-in vaccine centre. Anne-Marie x

[mhos61 in reply to amhann]

Yes, Anne Marie, that’s what I was basically told.

[beetle in reply to amhann]

Good luck Anne Marie

[beetle in reply to mhos61]

Apparently I was down on a list to be phoned and invited for third dose and in fairness the surgery had tried to phone yesterday while I was at the hospital having a blood transfusion so not being on Facebook would probably not have made any difference. I need to find out how to access the patient portal that folk refer to. I’m in the dark on that one!

[mhos61 in reply to beetle]

Ask your GPs for information about the Patient Portal. I was given a user name and password to access systems online. You can view your records, any Consultant letters, request medication etc.

[beetle in reply to mhos61]

Thank you. I can order meds but can’t see any records so I’ll have to ask someone for help I think

[mhos61 in reply to beetle]

I vaguely remember when I signed up to the systems online it didn’t give me full access, I had to request it.

[JediReject]

Hi Jan , , good news and a result for you there , , ,

🎵Now I heard there was a secret 3rd dose,, , , ,

That patients know must be close, ,

Your faith was strong but you needed proof

But that 3rd dose oft remains aloof

It's not a crime to want the best jab

If all GPs knew it would be fab

But no, its a poor and very broken system.

Well people we've been here before

Been frustrated and walked the floor

When nobody cares or even wants to listen.

And I've seen the leaflet from MPN Voice

Which tells me that I ought have a choice

But no its a poor and very broken system.

Now its time to let us know

What's going on , who's running the show

But you often never really find out do ya?

Then out of the blue you get THE call

You scored a victory, you're standing tall,

You told the truth, you didn't badger your GP to fool her

And as you put the receiver down you find yourself shout out loud . .

HALLELUJAH , HALLELUJAH 🎵

Chris x

(Apology to and courtesy of the late great Mr Cohen , a song writing genius)

[mhos61 in reply to JediReject]

Very good Chris, it says it all really! X

[beetle in reply to JediReject]

Showing off your talent again Chris. Not seen any of your poetic gems for a long time. More please🤗. As you know me of old I don’t get fobbed off very easily😊. I hope you are keeping well x

[JediReject in reply to beetle]

Haha well Jan not really showing off as such because I plagiarised much of it ! but I do love that song and it immediately sprang to mind when I saw your post title ,and it got my cogs whirring. I love it most when Cohen sings it live though it's been covered quite a bit. Jeff Buckley version is well,known I think though a number of artists have murdered, sorry had a go at it.

I know you're a tenacious character Jan, just as well eh ?

As for the wee rhymes I really haven't been inspired much this past year but something , such as your post could pop up to stimulate or agitate ze little grey cells.

Your friend x

[MaggieSylvie]

I've got a jab booked for next Tuesday. I sent a copy of the Blood Cancer UK letter to my GP and a few days later I got an invitation to book on my mobile phone. So I'm going to a pharmacy in the town 10 miles away. I don't know what I'm going to get because it was all booked online. I have had two injections of Pfizer so far and if this one is also Pfizer, I don't think there will be a problem but if it's not, I'll have to book the third one because the one on Tuesday will only be a booster. I'm not clear on how long the third vaccine needs to be if given after a booster. Does anyone know?

[beetle in reply to MaggieSylvie]

If the third dose you get is pfizer then that is the same in either case - the booster or third primary dose. Apparently they have to do some jiggery pokery on the computer to make sure we are recorded as third primary dose. It’s important not to get the moderna vaccine as that is only being given as a half dose for a booster and we need the full whack! Good luck

[MaggieSylvie in reply to beetle]

Thanks for that, beetle. I'm hoping it is the Pfizer. I'm just a bit doubtful because I sent a copy of our Letter to my GP and she didn't respond but I got an invitation on my mobile to book a test through Systmonline. I eventually got through to the booking part and was surprised to be offered it by a pharmacy rather than a building near the surgery or surgery in a different town, so I don't know whether I'm on record as being vulnerable etc. or not. I'm going to phone the pharmacy on Monday to ask them what they are offering, as it's not even worth a visit if it is, as you say, Moderna. I no longer have any faith at all in my surgery.

[Cja1956]

That’s great news, Jan!

[Cja1956]

I also wanted to add to take it easy for the next couple days afterwards because I had a bad reaction to it. I was nauseous and I had a fever of almost 101 and was very achy. I did take Tylenol for the fever and that helped. Let us know how it goes.

[MCW22]

I'm still getting nowhere.

[Wiara]

Greetings,After a long battle/several heated discussions/ being rejected as not eligible for third vaccine via nhs application,then having contacted my MPN clinic who contacted GP and included letter from Blood Cancer Charity guidance for Gps letter, I finally won. I received my third primary Pfeizer vaccine on 8/10/21. Do not give up. I had been told by Gp that no Gp surgery in my area was giving 3rd primary vaccines.

To those who are having problems obtaining the vaccine all I can advise is -do not give up trying.

Sending wishes of good health to you all.

W

[Borage]

My GP was at the vaccination centre on Saturday. He was busy making up a hundred extra Pfizer doses for the “walk in” vulnerable people who had been told just to come without appointments. The NHS computer system would not allow appointments to be booked for a 3rd Primary Dose, and would not allow appointments for Booster doses less than six months from the second dose.

I was checked over because I got angina during the wait standing outside in a sheltered area with the other Shielding Group people. I wasn’t particularly stressed and had my book and flask of tea.

My GP said that I had been right about the third vaccination. That was nice.

[beetle in reply to Borage]

So glad you have been sorted. The whole system seems to have been a bit of a farce this time round. So much for our brilliantly organised vaccination programme! Actually I think the problems we’ve all been having are down to the computer system as it was never designed to give third primary doses. I have heard that it will all be sorted retrospectively though. The stumbling block appears to be that the computers are saying no to a third dose less than six months after the second dose. Don’t you just love our computer driven world😂!!

[Borage]

Thank you Beetle.

I expect that if someone tries to alter the computer system the whole thing would crash.