Flu vaccine

DOD555

Hi all, quick question for anyone in an at risk category who got the flu vaccine from their doctor. Did they charge you? My wife, who is pregnant, just got charged €25 for it. It was an administration fee. But a quick google tells me the doctor gets paid €15 for the administration plus a possible additional €10 (technically €100 for every 10 unique patients). Seems abit cheeky from the doctor unless I’m missing something. Thanks.

Water John

I got charged €35 for the jab from the nurse who was also taking my bloods €30 in the practice. In my 60s.

Supercell

Boots didn't charge me a penny, didn't go to my doctor for this exact reason - the "administration fee" which is a double charge as the government pays them too.

Got mine a few days ago in Hickeys .

I had been in a week earlier to pick up a prescription and they offered it to me !
I’m 60 but in perfect health apart from statins .
They made an appointment for this week and I got it 9am Thursday. Took 3 mins, no side effects.

iamwhoiam

Got ours on Thursday in O Regan pharmacy , no charge as on the vulnerable list . Only side effect is a sore arm and I had a stinker of a headache yesterday .

Newbie007

I'm pregnant and had an appointment for Tuesday in Boots but they are just after ringing and cancelling it said they were prioritising over 65s. Panicking a little now as I'm an infant teacher and it's coming into the season for bugs, colds and flus

banie01

Newbie007 wrote: »

I'm pregnant and had an appointment for Tuesday in Boots but they are just after ringing and cancelling it said they were prioritising over 65s. Panicking a little now as I'm an infant teacher and it's coming into the season for bugs, colds and flus

Ring boots back and confirm that you are in a high risk category.

r93kaey5p2izun

A gp tweeted a letter from HSE yesterday that advised that only over 65 and front line health care workers are to be vaccinated at the moment, then pregnant women and those with an underlying condition only if sufficient stock remains. Apparently just one more delivery of vaccine due to gps, and most wont have enough to cover those outside the top two priority groups.

I am very concerned not to be vaccinated this year. I really don't want to end up in hospital again with flu. I have to hope the social distancing and masks will reduce my chances of catching it. I will be ruthless about refusing deal with clients who wont wear a mask.

Newbie007

banie01 wrote: »

Ring boots back and confirm that you are in a high risk category.

I was speaking with the pharmacist in Boots and she unfortunately only over 65s and medical card holders are being prioritised. I'm not in either groups.

DOD555

DOD555 wrote: »

Hi all, quick question for anyone in an at risk category who got the flu vaccine from their doctor. Did they charge you? My wife, who is pregnant, just got charged €25 for it. It was an administration fee. But a quick google tells me the doctor gets paid €15 for the administration plus a possible additional €10 (technically €100 for every 10 unique patients). Seems abit cheeky from the doctor unless I’m missing something. Thanks.

I was always charged €30 from my GP "for the services of the nurse" as I am a non medical card patient. Even when I was highly immune-suppressed on two such drugs simultaneously. One day I was in the surgery with one of the GPs who was at that time attached to the practice and he gave it to me for no additional cost during a consultation for something else, telling me "it's costing me nothing to give it to you here and now".

Newbie007

Newbie007 wrote: »

I was speaking with the pharmacist in Boots and she unfortunately only over 65s and medical card holders are being prioritised. I'm not in either groups.

The Medical Card holder thing is all wrong. Why should they deserve more or less than anyone else in terms of care being afforded? I can only think it's because the health service calculates that (non-elderly or non-incapacitated) people who are on medical card are more likely to be living unhealthy lifestyles and likelier to succumb to influenza. Otherwise there would be no special merit in prioritising them.

POBox19

Newbie007 wrote: »

I was speaking with the pharmacist in Boots and she unfortunately only over 65s and medical card holders are being prioritised. I'm not in either groups.

Lots of pharmacies are offering the vaccine, phone around. Boots isn't the only game in town. I had to call three places before I got an appointment, none asked my age.

r93kaey5p2izun

I have tried every pharmacy, both chain and independent, in the area. No luck. As long ago as early September each one except Boots and McCabes said stock was only for medical card holders.

iamwhoiam

Irene Puny Numerology wrote: »

I have tried every pharmacy, both chain and independent, in the area. No luck. As long ago as early September each one except Boots and McCabes said stock was only for medical card holders.

Are you mixing up medical card holders and those on vulnerable list ??
Then three of us this week in our household got it ( all on vulnerable list none have medical card )
It was not in Boots or Mc Cabes

Then a medical card holder could be a strapping healthy 30 year old ? It makes no sense
The HSE have said the supply should be first given to those over 65 and frontline workers so chemist would be wrong to give it to a medical card holder

iamwhoiam

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The Medical Card holder thing is all wrong. Why should they deserve more or less than anyone else in terms of care being afforded? I can only think it's because the health service calculates that (non-elderly or non-incapacitated) people who are on medical card are more likely to be living unhealthy lifestyles and likelier to succumb to influenza. Otherwise there would be no special merit in prioritising them.

Its all wrong , then not all vulnerable have medical cards . For example a Type 1 diabetic would have a green book for free meds but no medical card if they earn over the limit

r93kaey5p2izun

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Are you mixing up medical card holders and those on vulnerable list ??
Then three of us this week in our household got it ( all on vulnerable list none have medical card )
It was not in Boots or Mc Cabes

Then a medical card holder could be a strapping healthy 30 year old ? It makes no sense
The HSE have said the supply should be first given to those over 65 and frontline workers so chemist would be wrong to give it to a medical card holder

No. I'm on the vulnerable list. All pharmacies said medical card holders only. This was well before HSE restricted to over 65s and frontline HCWs. I assumed they meant medical card holders who qualify due to being over 65 or having a long term illness, not all medical card holders. But they said HSE said stock was not for use for private patients regardless of qualifying for free flu vaccine.

iamwhoiam

Irene Puny Numerology wrote: »

No. I'm on the vulnerable list. All pharmacies said medical card holders only. This was well before HSE restricted to over 65s and frontline HCWs. I assumed they meant medical card holders who qualify due to being over 65 or having a long term illness, not all medical card holders. But they said HSE said stock was not for use for private patients regardless of qualifying for free flu vaccine.

Very odd , not the HSE recommendation . Our three local pharmacies were giving to vulnerable regardless of private or medical card .

Ps . Over 65 don’t automatically qualify for a medical card . Over 70 qualify for a GP card automatically but not a medical card if over limit
Long term illness automatically qualify for a green book ( free meds ) but do not automatically qualify for a medical card

r93kaey5p2izun

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Very odd , not the HSE recommendation . Our three local pharmacies were giving to vulnerable regardless of private or medical card .

Ps . Over 65 don’t automatically qualify for a medical card . Over 70 qualify for a GP card automatically but not a medical card if over limit

Yes, I'm aware of qualifying rules for medical card.

I could only get an appointment with Boots or McCabes, both for mid to late November having booked in early September, so chose McCabes as it's closer. GP had said from the start that he would only have enough for over 65s and children. Cancelled now and no hope of getting it for the first time in years. Spent a week in hospital with flu in 2018 despite being vaccinated so I know it's no guarantee, but it's worry.

iamwhoiam

Irene Puny Numerology wrote: »

Yes, I'm aware of qualifying rules for medical card.

I could only get an appointment with Boots or McCabes, both for mid to late November having booked in early September, so chose McCabes as it's closer. GP had said from the start that he would only have enough for over 65s and children. Cancelled now and no hope of getting it for the first time in years. Spent a week in hospital with flu in 2018 despite being vaccinated so I know it's no guarantee, but it's worry.

I hope you get it very soon .

COVID

Irene Puny Numerology wrote: »

Yes, I'm aware of qualifying rules for medical card.

I could only get an appointment with Boots or McCabes, both for mid to late November having booked in early September, so chose McCabes as it's closer. GP had said from the start that he would only have enough for over 65s and children. Cancelled now and no hope of getting it for the first time in years. Spent a week in hospital with flu in 2018 despite being vaccinated so I know it's no guarantee, but it's worry.

iamwhoiam wrote: »

I hope you get it very soon .

The flu or the vaccine?

r93kaey5p2izun

https://mobile.twitter.com/Eastcorkclinsoc/status/1320352686890430469

Very concerning to see gps facing decisions like this. Not enough stock even for the over 65s. My own gp says the same. How could they not foresee this spike in demand?

Graces7

Irene Puny Numerology wrote: »

https://mobile.twitter.com/Eastcorkclinsoc/status/1320352686890430469

Very concerning to see gps facing decisions like this. Not enough stock even for the over 65s. My own gp says the same. How could they not foresee this spike in demand?

It was reported way back that they had ordered more than enough for just this reason as they foresaw the spike and were strongly advising more to get the vaccine, but the suppliers have now let them down.

Sheep Shagger

Anyone have their Mccabes appointment cancelled and still waiting on refund?

They are ignoring emails and TBH i shouldn't have to chase given they cancelled on me....poor form.

blackbox

Anyone got any updates on availability of the vaccine?

I went to the pharmacist last week and was told there were 200 people on the waiting list and they had no idea when it would be available.

cj maxx

I’ve no idea and haven’t checked as I got mine, thankfully

odyssey06

I read in the Indo that a delivery of 300,000 adult vaccinations just arrived.

Hoping that will clear the backlog - have a family member whose appt was cancelled (hopefully only postponed) by Boots.

Toots

I actually got a call from my local pharmacy this afternoon to say they had some if I wanted to come in. I'd enquired about it several weeks ago because I'm in the high risk group, and also a member of my household is being treated for cancer.

I ended up getting it in the GP a couple of weeks ago - the whole house had to get it. Also something to bear in mind if you have kids, the nasal spray isn't suitable if they live with someone immunocompromised. My kids had to get the shot.

Moragle

I'm a pharmacist. The medical card holders aren't priority, vulnerable groups are. Unfortunately there aren't enough vaccines so the priority at the moment is over 65s and healthcare workers, and there isn't even enough for them. I've a waiting list, all vulnerable people, of over 100. The HSE is sending me 10 next Wednesday! Me and my colleagues are at our wits end trying to prioritise. There just aren't enough and the HSE are blaming the national vaccines service and vice versa, as usual nobody is taking accountability.
And just FYI if you're in a vulnerable group ie over 65, immunocompromised, pregnant etc. there isn't a charge this year (in pharmacys can't speak for GP's) whether you have a medical card or not.

iamwhoiam

Toots wrote: »

I actually got a call from my local pharmacy this afternoon to say they had some if I wanted to come in. I'd enquired about it several weeks ago because I'm in the high risk group, and also a member of my household is being treated for cancer.

I ended up getting it in the GP a couple of weeks ago - the whole house had to get it. Also something to bear in mind if you have kids, the nasal spray isn't suitable if they live with someone immunocompromised. My kids had to get the shot.

Can i ask you why the nasal spray is not suitable if living with some immuno compromised ?

Rubberchikken

A frontline workers but have never gotten it. Never will. I don't even get head colds. And have tested negative in every covid test.
I'd prefer the flu vaccine goes to someone who might need it.