1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

No reactions to it so far - in fact my wife has had 2x AZ, 1 x Moderna and 2 x Pfizer and no issues with any. I've had 2 x AZ  and 2 x Pfizer ...

I still find this whole 'brand' thing odd. I have been getting injections for 6 x decades, not once have I queried what brand is going inside me. I still find it a little sinister that folk are so interested in such matters. 🤔

37 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

I still find this whole 'brand' thing odd.

No, as a rule I don't care either, as long as it works! I seem to get a different brand of my medication every prescription, but just take it whatever. I guess the interest with the Covid jabs is that they're different types - AZ is a modified common cold virus, I believe, Moderna and Pfizer are both MRNA - and they seem to have different types, severity and incidence of side effects.

2 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

No, as a rule I don't care either, as long as it works! I seem to get a different brand of my medication every prescription, but just take it whatever..

Medications that change bug me LOL My last 3 prescriptions of Ramipril (blood pressure) have all been different, different sized boxes, and different coloured tablets - whereas some meds have remained constant for over a decade. I'm not a fan of change LOL

Until this last booster we'd only had the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines, so I was interested to see whether we would react to a non-mRNA one. Maybe our immune systems are just too old and decrepit to respond lol. My wife has non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and COPD so she's classed as vulnerable even though she's not on immuno-suppressants. That makes me more careful as I don't want to get Covid and pass it on to her.

The AZ vaccine is a modified chimpanzee adenovirus which is their version of a common cold I guess.

Quote

I still find it a little sinister that folk are so interested in such matters. 🤔

I'm just interested from a scientific standpoint. Although I'm not a scientist having worked for over 30 years at a research lab I find all aspects of science (and engineering for that matter) absolutely fascinating. Being able to modify a fragment of RNA and incorporate that in a vaccine is a bit mind-blowing. I can remember how laborious and time-consuming it was just to sequence some DNA not that long ago. Gene editing is starting to be a really powerful tool in treating disease (and it can also be misused of course).

For weeks now I've been listening to news on the NHS, the waiting lists in the millions, the increased mortality rates from undiagnosed cancer and heart disease. I amongst other here predicted that would happen years ago when the government closed down the NHS for anything other than Covid.

Makes you think, how come people with no more qualifications than a dose of common sense, could see this would happen, yet the government with access to the greatest minds in the country, hadn't a clue...

 

Spotted this today:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-12370977/The-Covid-Inquiry-never-admit-strong-pandemic-plan-went-wrong-Leftie-scientists-panicky-politicians-writes-PROFESSOR-ROBERT-DINGWALL.html

We're back into the vaccination season again. My Mrs got an email and a letter about Covid from the NHS (as usual I didn't**), but I booked for us both using the online NHS system for first available date (mid-October).  

Both got our flu jab yesterday at our excellent local pharmacy. We did get a heads up from our GP but had already booked and the pharmacy is more convenient anyway.

** Same always happens with friends of ours - she gets a reminder, he doesn't - are they trying to tell us blokes something?😀

2 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

We're back into the vaccination season again...

I am literally just back from GP, Covid booster in right arm, flu in left arm, yep, definitely the season to be jolly LOL

Booked in for the double at my Gp

I've not had any reminders but thought it was only the over 65 were getting it. I booked and paid for flu jab and had that last weekend. The pharmacist said I should have had a letter inviting me for both jabs from the drs due to high blood pressure. I didn't think that was a criteria for the jabs if under 65? 

From the NHS website for those 16-64:

You may be at increased risk from COVID-19 if you have a health condition, such as:

• a long-term lung condition, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma (if you need steroid tablets) or cystic fibrosis
• a long-term heart condition, such as congenital heart disease, chronic heart failure or atrial fibrillation
• long term kidney disease (CKD) stage 3, 4 or 5
• a severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis
• a long-term problem with the brain or nerves, such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Huntington's disease, myasthenia gravis, or a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
• severe or multiple learning disabilities (or being on the learning disability register), such as Down's syndrome
• diabetes or another hormone disorder, such as Addison's disease
• a weakened immune system, due to a medical treatment (such as steroid medicine, biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy), a condition (such as leukaemia), or from having an organ or bone marrow transplant
• problems with the spleen, having no spleen or having a condition that can affect the spleen (such as sickle cell disease)
• living with severe obesity (having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)
• a severe mental health condition, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
• being pregnant (all stages)
• living in a long-stay nursing and residential care home as a younger adult.

This list is a summary and does not cover everything. There are other health conditions and treatments that may mean you're at increased risk from COVID-19.

You should be told if you have an increased risk from COVID-19. If you're unsure, speak to a pharmacist, GP or your specialist for advice.

1 hour ago, iantt said:

I've not had any reminders but thought it was only the over 65 were getting it. I booked and paid for flu jab and had that last weekend. The pharmacist said I should have had a letter inviting me for both jabs from the drs due to high blood pressure. I didn't think that was a criteria for the jabs if under 65? 

Clinically at risk, gets you jabbed

Yes, high blood pressure should qualify you for a Covid jab afaik. As I mentioned above, you can't rely on a letter from your GP - I didn't get one about Covid (though I did for flu) even though I qualify on multiple grounds.

Just go through the NHS online booking procedure and it tells you if you're eligible or not.

On 9/30/2023 at 7:39 PM, Jimpster said:

I didn't think that was a criteria

Just showing my OCD but it should be 'criterion'. Criteria is the plural.

I frequently see people make the same mistake with phenomenon/phenomena.

My wife and I had our flu jabs a couple of weeks ago and are booked for Covid next week. For some reason she got her reminder a week before me even though I'm 3 years older. We're both a long way over 65 .

1 hour ago, mjt said:

Just showing my OCD but it should be 'criterion'. Criteria is the plural.

Never apologise for adhering to proper punctuation or correct lexicon. I often have to get a translator out when my teenage nephew sends me a text!

Ok, Stephen, well I think you meant punctuation?

2 minutes ago, mjt said:

Ok, Stephen, well I think you meant punctuation?

LOL, I can't leave my post like that - will EDIT 😂

I've had both the covid and flu jabs on the same day, I had invites from both the NHS and the local GP.

The GP receptionist said  at most venues if you're invited for a COVID they give you flu jab at the same time

I'm 63 with no serious medical conditions and suffered no after affects at all.

The doctor thanked my for getting the jab before I had time to thank him for giving it to me

28 minutes ago, Mark-UK said:

I've had both the covid and flu jabs on the same day, I had invites from both the NHS and the local GP.

The GP receptionist said  at most venues if you're invited for a COVID they give you flu jab at the same time

I'm 63 with no serious medical conditions and suffered no after affects at all.

The doctor thanked my for getting the jab before I had time to thank him for giving it to me

How did you mage to get them from the NHS/drs? Thought it was over 65's 

 

30 minutes ago, iantt said:

How did you mage to get them from the NHS/drs? Thought it was over 65's 

 

I got multiple invites from both. I suspect it's because I saw the cardiologist early last year, and even though everything is fine, my phone appointments keep getting put back (last time from September to next March) and so he can't sign me off his books.

40 minutes ago, Mark-UK said:

I got multiple invites from both. I suspect it's because I saw the cardiologist early last year, and even though everything is fine, my phone appointments keep getting put back (last time from September to next March) and so he can't sign me off his books.

Ah. My partner had both jabs last week and the nurse asked her how come she was there. The drs had invited her. Then said probably because she is a nurse for Macmillan Cancer . But didn't say she does all her work via phone, webchat or texts etc. No face to face. 😂.

I was asked about my reason , and said I was a carer . But apparently it's for registered carers and not caring for my parents. But they didn't ask if I was registered. Also I thought high blood pressure medication would have been a reason. But no mention of that condition in the green paper for guidance. 

13 hours ago, iantt said:

But didn't say she does all her work via phone, webchat or texts etc. No face to face. 😂.

Ever heard of computer viruses? 😮  

Flu and Covid jabs done yesterday. 

Flu jab (I think) in one arm bled a wee bit,  covid in the other feeling a bit sore today,  apart from that no adverse effects 👍

16 hours ago, Turvey said:

Flu and Covid jabs done yesterday. 

Couldn't get both together. We had our flu jabs a couple of weeks back at the local pharmacy which is very convenient. Arms a bit sore for a couple of days.

Covid - we had to go through NHS online and had them last Sunday at a surgery a few miles away - the GP practice we're actually with is only doing housebound and care homes. Where we did go was very well organised.

Both had sore arm with those, then next evening I developed "flu-like" symptoms which lasted about 12 hours, my wife didn't. 

I was fine with the initial 2 jabs (A-Z), but have had 3 Pfizer now and the flu-like reaction twice. 

I don't recall this from previous vaccinations for either flu or Covid but the vaccinator this time asked if we were on anticoagulants, presumably because of risk of bleeding/severe bruising.

Being pressured by GP at the moment to go on an oral anticoagulant so this was of interest.

just a daily dispersible aspirin or clopidogrel or similar to thin the blood.