Sorry Boris, The System Won't Let Me.

[Canary42]

Boris Johnson urges people to get jabbed ‘to be in strong position for Christmas’

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/boris-johnson-booster-vaccine-christmas-omicron-184343617.html

Fat chance - I've just made a booking on the first available date - 4th January.

Last time I tried a couple of weeks ago it wouldn't even let me book as it said it was too early to do so.

So, which is it ?
(a) Boris is lying again
(b) Boris hasn't got a clue
(c) He means Xmas 2022

[naomi24]

Poor old diddly suffers. Nothing pleases her.

[gulliver1]

(a)Boris is lying again?,,,,,,Yes every time he opens his mouth.
(b)Boris hasn't a clue.....Never has had.
(c)He means Xmas 2022..... Let,s just hope he has been ousted by then....

[riptide]

No problem here, got my reminder from the NHS, booked online. My neighbour got hers earlier by phoning 119.

[Prudie]

For the first time ever I agree with canary and diddly. It has been a postcode lottery and smug comments from the usual don't help. Dorset has been appalling and many people are complaining to their MP etc. Once I got my NHS letter I had to log into the website 5 times a day for a week before I could book a jab that didn't involve a minimum 60 mile round trip and usually further. A call to 119 didn't help either and my grabajab locations were all 1 1/2 hours away. The booster rollout has been very poorly done.

[ToraToraTora]

Prudie: I live in Dorset, I just walked into my local chemist and got jabbed.

[Prudie]

You're over B'mth way though? For Dorchester residents the options were mainly Beaminster, Yeovil or occasionally Boots in Commercial Rd B'mth. Those are long journeys. I could do them if I had to but 1000s of elderly Dorchester residents cannot. As I said it took me nearly 30 log-ins over a week to get a slot locally. My GP practice , which was a vaccination centre for the first two is refusing to do them.

[Bobbisox1]

I’m amazed at this Diddlydo, everyone I know has had a smooth corridor from the 2nd one to the booster

[Bobbisox1]

Just seen you post as I was writing mine Prudie, sorry it’s been bad in your neck of the woods, it’s really been like clockwork up here

[New Judge]

//For Dorchester residents the options were mainly Beaminster, Yeovil or occasionally Boots in Commercial Rd B'mth.//

I have relatives in Bridport. One of them had to travel to Dorchester (30 miles round trip) for his booster. He thought that was bad until his wife had to travel to Exeter (80 miles round trip) for hers.

The situation varies enormously across the country and experience in my area suggests the rollout of the booster varies between bad and shambolic. In my immediate area it is not helped by having a GP practice which largely withdrew from offering a health service to its patients in March 2020 and has taken no part whatsoever in the vaccination programme (apart from sending a list of patients' details to somebody else). The biggest mystery of all is what the practice has actually been doing during that time as there are fifteen cars in the (staff only) car park for five days a week.

[ladybirder]

Has anybody read my post or tried my suggestion?

[vulcan42]

It seems the problem lies with the practice centres not being organised. My local centre sent out letters for all three jabs listing where to go, the date and time to attend. The first two inoculations were carried out at a local church hall, we drove there and were jabbed sitting in our cars.

[emmie]

notice my point got removed, lol

[New Judge]

Which probably explains why people living in Dorchester cannot get their jabs there, Prudie. They're busy dealing with Bridport residents. My relative would have been more than pleased to go to Beaminster as it's only six miles away. Mind you, I read the other day that people on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent were being invited for their jabs to Southend-on-Sea in Essex. Just five miles away - provided you either have a boat or are a strong swimmer. For everybody else it's a 130 mile round trip, including £2.50 each way for the Dartford Crossing toll.

[emmie]

so far everything has gone smoothly, two jabs at the doctors surgery and one at the drop in centre, all within walking distance.

[mushroom25]

I received my booster jab on Saturday, 6m after my second, but the process was a complete shambles. my appointment was for 2-10, but so it was for about 20 others. the centre were closed for lunch until 2 but didn't reopen until five past. the staff did try to call people by appointment time but quickly gave up when everyone decided the "free for all" system was preferable. so there were many with 2-30 appointments (and later) who were in before even those with a 2-05 appointment. on registering, everyone received a sheet with a number on it, you were meant to wait until your number was called, but that too was quickly abandoned in favour of the free for all approach, and we ended up just stood in a huge random queue.

[emmie]

got seen well before appointment time, it was quick, efficient and straightforward.

[Prudie]

I guess that's because you're in London Emmie. I have taken LB's advice and this is where I can 'drop-in'. Admittedly you need some knowledge of the Dorchester area to realise how ludicrous some of these suggestions are but today I could go to:
Somerset Motor Museum in Yeovil
A farm in Cheddar
A business park in Exeter
A couple of chemists in Southampton
.....

[ladybirder]

Was it of any help to you at all Prudie? Mine was brilliant and I chose to go a five minute drive away the next week.

[Gromit]

The booster roll out has been patchy at best.
Me and my friend got the second jab on the same day 7 months ago. I got my booster a month ago, and she has heard nothing. After a fortnight she has been trying to get an appointment but can’t. We are registered at different GPs surgeries.
My first 2 jabs were in the car park at the local swimming pool, but the Pfizer booster I had to make a train journey to the Etihad.