COVID-19: Vaccine and testing procedures Megathread Part 3 - Read OP

Mammy got her call, being jabbed tomorrow in Parc Uí Chaoimh

Strazdas wrote: »

I think vaccine hesitancy is hugely overstated. From what we are hearing, take up is very high and large numbers of people received AZ last week, even with the vaccine in the headlines.

Problem with turning AZ down would be that you could be left waiting months to be vaccinated and I think most people are well aware of this - you don't get to turn down your AZ dose and get offered another vaccine two days later.

That's certainly the case with older cohorts wAhere they would have to wait until most of the country is done to get offered another vaccine but younger cohorts are already at the back of the queue and wouldn't have to wait as long for a new offer of they turn down their first one. For example a 65 year old is offered AZ at the start of May. If they turn it down, they would have to wait until maybe the end of July to get a new offer. A 23 year old is offered AZ at the end of June and would have to wait until the end of July to get a new offer. The cost for older cohorts of refusing a vaccine is higher than it is for younger cohorts.

Strazdas wrote: »

I think vaccine hesitancy is hugely overstated. From what we are hearing, take up is very high and large numbers of people received AZ last week, even with the vaccine in the headlines.

Problem with turning AZ down would be that you could be left waiting months to be vaccinated and I think most people are well aware of this - you don't get to turn down your AZ dose and get offered another vaccine two days later.

I tend to agree with this tbh.

I wonder how it would work though if someone in one of the older cohorts simply doesn't register on the portal when that group is invited to, and leaves it 2/3 weeks to register ? They'd hardly be told "sorry you had your chance" would they ? You would imagine there would be an almost ongoing "mopping up" operation for people that were missed for whatever reason.

sd1999 wrote: »

That's certainly the case with older cohorts wAhere they would have to wait until most of the country is done to get offered another vaccine but younger cohorts are already at the back of the queue and wouldn't have to wait as long for a new offer of they turn down their first one. For example a 65 year old is offered AZ at the start of May. If they turn it down, they would have to wait until maybe the end of July to get a new offer. A 23 year old is offered AZ at the end of June and would have to wait until the end of July to get a new offer. The cost for older cohorts of refusing a vaccine is higher than it is for younger cohorts.

On this, there will be no "offer" per say

Speaking to my GP this morning she say's you'll register online, validation of details, appointment to issue then. So whenever you register when your cohort is allowed, appointment follows. If the over 65 opened tomorrow for example they can register tomorrow or register in say 3 weeks time, doesn't matter when they register, it'll be open for them as long as vaccination is on going but she would expect most to jump at the chance straight away. That's her understanding of the process that's been explained to them.

After that the only choice you have is when the appointment is issued, Yes I want the vaccine appointment or No I don't want the appointment. After that it's pure luck as to whatever vaccine you get, she say's it'll be whatever is in use in the vaccination centre you go to & in line with NIAC adivse. So say if NIAC give for example AZ cut off at 40. Someone who's 41 will turn up and it could be any of the vaccines, someone who's 39 turns up and it's one of Pfizer, Moderna or J&J for example. Which one you get is whatever one is assigned to the MVC.

There'll be no choice, someone might have a preference but they won't be able to express said preference either.


Just aside from this, she's finished the over 70s dose 1 and is planning on doing a small number of cohort 4 next week, in particular she said in practice she is focusing on patients in cohort 4 that would need more personal attention and be familiar with her & might not be comfortable with a change of setting or change of doctor etc for which it might be upsetting.

She's got an excellent set up over there

funnydoggy wrote: »

stephenjmcd you have a fantasic GP it sounds like. Always a good thing

She's fantastic.

Having read some stories on here of GPs being very short with people and not that welcoming I do feel lucky to have a GP that's very approachable. You don't feel like a thick going down for something that you think is minor and might be a waste of her time.

stephenjmcd wrote: »

On this, there will be no "offer" per say

Speaking to my GP this morning she say's you'll register online, validation of details, appointment to issue then. So whenever you register when your cohort is allowed, appointment follows. If the over 65 opened tomorrow for example they can register tomorrow or register in say 3 weeks time, doesn't matter when they register, it'll be open for them as long as vaccination is on going but she would expect most to jump at the chance straight away. That's her understanding of the process that's been explained to them.

After that the only choice you have is when the appointment is issued, Yes I want the vaccine appointment or No I don't want the appointment. After that it's pure luck as to whatever vaccine you get, she say's it'll be whatever is in use in the vaccination centre you go to & in line with NIAC adivse. So say if NIAC give for example AZ cut off at 40. Someone who's 41 will turn up and it could be any of the vaccines, someone who's 39 turns up and it's one of Pfizer, Moderna or J&J for example. Which one you get is whatever one is assigned to the MVC.

There'll be no choice, someone might have a preference but they won't be able to express said preference either.


Just aside from this, she's finished the over 70s dose 1 and is planning on doing a small number of cohort 4 next week, in particular she said in practice she is focusing on patients in cohort 4 that would need more personal attention and be familiar with her & might not be comfortable with a change of setting or change of doctor etc for which it might be upsetting.

She's got an excellent set up over there

Course there's still a choice, if you turn up at the centre and they go AZ, you can turn around and walk back out. Not like they'll physically drag you into the chair to take it. You'll still need the vaccination so if there's an amount of people who wont take AZ but will take another, you just have to refuse it and wait til they allow a choice. That's obviously far easier for the younger group too as it won't be very long after most likely.

12k vaccines administered on the 10th.

stephenjmcd wrote: »

Having read some stories on here of GPs being very short with people and not that welcoming I do feel lucky to have a GP that's very approachable. You don't feel like a thick going down for something that you think is minor and might be a waste of her time.

My mam's friend has a GP who has never computerised. Does everything with paper and pencil. Real old school type. Unsurprisingly, it's been absolute chaos trying to get his patients vaccinated. Said friend is 75. Not a sign of getting even the first dose so far.

stephenjmcd wrote: »

No idea how anyone could work like that especially a GP

It's baffling.

Strazdas wrote: »

I assume people are being contacted by their GPs anyway with an appointment? Some older people wouldn't even be online or have access to the internet. The portal is probably just an added way of making sure you get an appointment.

Paul Reid said there would be two ways to register . Online on the portal or we will be given a helpline phone number who will talk you through registration
The appointment will be via the portal or hepline and with a text , not via GPs

Sanjuro wrote: »

My mam's friend has a GP who has never computerised. Does everything with paper and pencil. Real old school type. Unsurprisingly, it's been absolute chaos trying to get his patients vaccinated. Said friend is 75. Not a sign of getting even the first dose so far.

You'd have to wonder if GPs who are still working with paper and pencil are also overly relying on what they learned in their early days.

Sanjuro wrote: »

My mam's friend has a GP who has never computerised. Does everything with paper and pencil. Real old school type. Unsurprisingly, it's been absolute chaos trying to get his patients vaccinated. Said friend is 75. Not a sign of getting even the first dose so far.

I did think from the start that a number of so called problems stemmed from GPs like this.

Rebelbrowser wrote: »

Sorry if asked already, but with everything being a bit of a moveable feast, how do they decide on cut off dates for each age cohort does anyone know? Say, to pick an example, the next cohort is 65-69 and you turn 65 on 5 May. Is it only people aged 65-69 on a given day (and, if so, what day?) or would a GP include, say, everyone turning 65 this year as its very hard to pick a date otherwise?

I was wondering that, not in relation to myself though. I have a friend turning 70 in the last week of April, but an article in the Irish Times on Saturday says IMO says anyone turning 70 in April should be included in Cohort 3.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/gps-advised-not-to-administer-astrazeneca-jab-until-committee-reports-back-1.4534281

Where would it end though......how about someone now 69, but 70 by the time they get vaccinated?

NIAC to recommend restriction of AstraZeneca vaccine for over-60s
https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2021/0412/1209247-coronavirus-vaccine-ireland/