51 minutes ago, unofix said:

Sweden !! a place with original thinking. I like the fact they just do their own thing and get on with lfe without worrying about what everyone else is doing (well of course there is one exception 🤣)

 

Yes, those figures don't look good. Maybe that's why they're thinking of taking statins as well?

50 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

They do lovely meatballs too! LOL

Self assembly ones from Ikea, of course😀

https://youtu.be/sY_Yf4zz-yo

How is everyone getting on with booster jabs in your area?

Getting a bit frustrated at the moment with Government/NHS types coming on and saying people are not coming forward for booster jabs. 

I haven't reached 6 months from second jab yet (9 days to go) but I know of several people who have passed that point but, when they tried to book, have been told to wait until called.  I pass my local mass vaccination site several times a week and the car park is empty and staff and volunteers seem to be twiddling their thumbs, so don't know what's going on. 

Also we seem to have had a bit of a u-turn on the effectiveness of lateral flow tests recently, typical report:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58899612

My mum was 84 last week, and still hasn't been called to get her 'booster' shot yet, which belies the government telling us that there is a reluctance on people to get their booster, sadly, the NHS seems to be failing on this booster program...

I have also passed the 6 months since full vaccination, but would really prefer my mum to be done.

59 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

have been told to wait until called.  

Just spotted an update on this and it seems that was dropped last night. Apparently anyone 50+ can now book an appointment a week after becoming eligible (6 months after second jab) without needing to be contacted.

2 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Just spotted an update on this and it seems that was dropped last night. Apparently anyone 50+ can now book an appointment a week after becoming eligible (6 months after second jab) without needing to be contacted.

My mate took his 80yrs old aunt to a surgery to have a booster.The doctor asked my 60 yrs old mate if he would like one as well since you’re here.He took up the offer.

1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Apparently anyone 50+ can now book an appointment a week after becoming eligible (6 months after second jab) without needing to be contacted.

Sadly, not in Northern Ireland...

News coming in thick and fast! My Mrs has just been told by our local GP reception that once we are a week past the 6 months, we can just walk into the local vaccination site with no need for an appointment. Further to my earlier post, I've just walked past there and a sign saying "Walk in entrance" has appeared. No thumbs being twiddled this morning either, so it looks as if things have been given a stir. Well, in England at least.

I had my second jab on April 9. About 10 days ago, I received an NHS text directing me to a list of jabberies, one a mile away, others three or four miles' distant. The nearest one had only a few empty slots in the following fortnight and I opted to go to it next Friday.

I'll be interested to see which type of jab I'm given and whether there'll be a choice. I have a vague feeling that, having had two shots of Astra Zeneca, Pfizer might be the optimum this time, but I don't suppose I'll be able to choose.

Another vague recollection is reading recently that the first two shots are now giving me the same immunity as that of a 50-year-old who hasn't been jabbed.

"Jabberies". That's excellent. I may steal that.

It does seem like someone's realised the "wait for your appointment" message wasn't optimal. Hopefully that will filter down to the surgeries too, as my local one still seems to be dithering on getting booster shots out to people.

What flavor will these booster jabs be ? do you get to pick a version ?

I'm going to wait for the Swedish meatball variant, no point in rushing in to these things !!

@Marlburian and @unofixNo, I don't think you get a choice and I don't think you get meatballs either! I've now got visions of the Swedish chef from the Muppets being let loose with a syringe!😀

Anyway, the NHS say this:

Which COVID-19 vaccine will I get?

Most people will be offered a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or Moderna vaccine.

This means your booster dose may be different from the vaccines you had for your 1st and 2nd doses.

Some people may be offered a booster dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if they cannot have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.

 

Well, the change from waiting for your GP to contact you for booster jab , to being able to book appointment online has made a huge difference in our town. Drove past our local  surgery this morning( normally closed at weekend) and there was a huge queue of 60+ age folk waiting for there jab. 

Ive still until mid Nov to wait unti I can have mine. 

35 minutes ago, iantt said:

Ive still until mid Nov to wait unti I can have mine. 

My 6 months is up a week today so under the current rule I guess I have to wait a further week after that.

Watching carefully the discussion on bringing it down to 5 months and if that happens I'll be straight down to the local mass vaccination site where we've been told you can just walk in when eligible.

6 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I think many misunderstand the purpose of the vaccination. It does not prevent you getting covid, neither does it prevent you passing it on. It does however dramatically decrease your risk of dying if you do get it. Borne out by the dramatic rise in recent hospital cases of younger folk, 30s to 40s, who have not been vaccinated.

Moved over to this thread so we don't get into bother for going off topic.

Yes, it does seem that younger people who have probably not been vaccinated are driving the rates at the moment.

A lot of concern in my locality (where rates are quite high) due to the proximity of the local 6th form/tech college to  the Tesco superstore, who of course have a "Please wear a face covering it you are able" policy. What happens is that hordes of students descend on the store to buy snacks etc (which they can get in the college anyway - it's just become a "thing").

Normally they're just a pest or source of amusement (" how many students does it take to buy a Mars bar?", etc) but at the moment it's a bit of a hazard. Not getting into the mask argument here (though most customers seem to use them - not one of this lot does) but I can see that this is making a lot of people very nervous and I do hear people saying they are afraid to shop there.

I have written to Tesco suggesting that they liaise with the College to do something to regulate matters, but just got a corporate gobbledygook reply explaining their mask policy.

 

31 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I have written to Tesco suggesting that they liaise with the College to do something to regulate matters, but just got a corporate gobbledygook reply explaining their mask policy.

 

The government has spent £800 Million of ours in scaring the bejesus out of the population, and unfortunately, many are still in that petrified state, primarily the elderly. We need to get Covid into perspective.

Over 18 months it has caused 0.17% of numerical deaths compared to the UK population, and this is also skewed as an average year of flu deaths (about 60,000) had been dramatically decreased as we were locked down in our homes.

The average age of death is 82 years old, and has remained constant throughout the pandemic period.

We seemed to have become obsessed with 'cases' which are an irrelevance, it's death rates we should concentrate on, and as a %age of our population, it is minuscule.

We all need to get our big boy pants on, and just get on with it. The government constantly tell us we need to learn to live with it, yet constantly deny us the right to get on and live with it. I don't wear a mask (never will again) but I could care less if anyone else wants to. If you do wear one, and believe it works, it should not matter a jot what I do!

In 5 decades I have been governed by many muppets over the years, but not until this government have I actually been scared of government, and this one between it handling of Covid, and it's 'net zero' policy scares me sh1tless...

We have also managed to destroy the economy...

3 hours ago, StephenFord said:

The government has spent £800 Million of ours in scaring the bejesus out of the population, and unfortunately, many are still in that petrified state, primarily the elderly. We need to get Covid into perspective.

Yes, the look of sheer terror in some people's eyes is quite disturbing.

I feel very much like you on this. Yes, it is a serious health issue, yes, I am happy to take sensible advice and injections promptly when offered, and avoid crowds of strangers in busy places, as you would in the flu season. I am even willing to use a face covering in circumstances where I consider I may pass on anything I might be carrying to others. I am dubious as to the effectiveness of that but until I see some definitive evidence either way I'll use my judgement. I am then happy to get on with it. Unfortunately as we often comment that common sense view is not that common.

It does seem, though, that youngsters as I mention are driving up the rates of cases in our area and some of those cases (like the friend I mentioned in another thread) are getting quite ill, though hopefully not worse due to the vaccine. 

I do suspect that this lot I mention above (and when I say "hordes" I'm not kidding) are in fact contributing to case rates and consequent illnesses around here.

What surprised me is Tesco's current unwillingness to do anything about it. They can't make much profit from customers like these but they must be losing income from those who (rightly or wrongly) are either afraid to shop there altogether or, more often, are just in and out of the store double quick when they would normally linger longer and probably spend more. (I've shopped there for 30 years and see the same faces week after week, so you get to recognise people).

I'm not suggesting barring the youngsters from the store, btw. During the previous restrictions prior to July 19, Tesco were marshalling them through one entrance and only letting a few in at once. That resulted in a reduction in numbers coming in as they quickly got fed up with queuing so one student would come in and buy Mars bars or whatever for several of their mates. If they'd carried on with that (and they're not short of security staff there) they'd solve the issue easily.

Another aspect to this which touches on the subject of Covid vaccinations is that to get to the Tesco store students have to use a light controlled crossing over a major route, which is being continually triggered. This is bad enough under normal circumstances as it causes long tailbacks, but the road is one of the routes to the mass vaccination centre, so at the moment they're also causing problems for people trying to get their jabs.

35 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

What surprised me is Tesco's current unwillingness to do anything about it.

I'm afraid we disagree on this. Tesco operate up to 4000 stores on these islands. To make up rules specifically for one single store would be a nightmare for them. Imagine a customer then writing in saying, 'I was in your X store yesterday, and they were disallowing students, or allowing students..blah blah blah...disgraceful discrimination blah blah blah.' take you pick...

That's why they have generic company policies. Over the years I have worked in senior retail management jobs and can assure you, they would never entertain such a suggestion.

My local store is littered in the morning with school bags at the entrance as 100s of kids stock up their daily diet of sugary drinks, and sweets, it's just one of the joys of shopping. (which, ironically, I hate!)

 

36 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I'm afraid we disagree on this.

Fair enough - and I take your point. They were however doing something different in respect of that group prior to July 19, as I mentioned.

Noticed a lot of coughing and spluttering today within the mask wearing community when roaming the supermarkets.Can’t be a pleasant experience.

23 minutes ago, williamweb said:

Noticed a lot of coughing and spluttering today within the mask wearing community when roaming the supermarkets.Can’t be a pleasant experience.

Hardly a surprise, constantly breathing in a petri dish of germs captured on the face covering, especially the elderly. My mum has used her 'disposable' mask for over 6 months now, the elderly being a proper war generation don't throw things away just because they should LOL

10 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

the elderly being a proper war generation don't throw things away just because they should LOL

I bet your mum would at least dispose of it properly when she decides the time is right. There are piles of the things strewn around here.

 

Had my flu jab yesterday. Had a bit of a reaction - arm is still very sore, last night I alternated between shivering and sweating most of the night, and was aching all over. Seem to be OK this morning though.

Just got pinged to say I can book my Covid booster so like a glutton for punishment I've gone for the first available slot, which was Monday afternoon.

Had my Pfizer booster shot this morning, have not heard anything about my flu jab yet, though I did read there was a  supply shortage.

20 hours ago, eddie eastwood said:

Had my Pfizer booster shot this morning, have not heard anything about my flu jab yet, though I did read there was a  supply shortage.

Had mine yesterday (Took my 84 year old mum for hers and suggested as I was there, I should get mine too LOL), & had flu jab last week, so rock on winter!

EDIT...

On reading that back, sounds as if I had bunked the queue, I had a legitimate appointment anyway for the Monday, just wanted to save a repeat trip to the Dr as I'm trying to stay 'green' LOL