Vaccination priority groups

[LizzieL]

It only makes sense if they have completed all those in the previous 5 groups:

Priority Risk groups
1    Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults
2    All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
3    All those 75 years of age and over
4    All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (not including pregnant women and those under 16 years of age)
5    All those 65 years of age and over
6    Adults aged 16 to 65 years in an at-risk group (see clinical conditions below)
7    All those 60 years of age and over
8    All those 55 years of age and over
9    All those 50 years of age and over
10    Rest of the population (to be determined)

No they haven't that's exactly the point I'm making.
Younger people with listed clinical conditions are getting invitations whereas 65 - 69 year olds with the same listed conditions are not. Numerous examples posted on our practice's website today.

[Gadget]

Has anyone from the practice been asked why and given an answer? 

I'm sure that I read recently that some of the vulnerable had been left off listings - not sure if it was nationally or specific areas. 

I have nothing but praise for the roll out in our area. They are all so friendly and efficient.

[heywood]

The ‘clinical conditions’ do look very serious.
 Do the 65-69 yr olds with the same conditions fall into group 4?

[Gadget]

Is this what they are referring to:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2021/02/call-for-people-aged-70-and-over-to-contact-nhs-for-a-covid-jab/

People aged 70 and over who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID and who would like to be are today being asked to contact the NHS to arrange a jab.

Until now the NHS has asked people to wait until they are contacted to help ensure that those who are most vulnerable are protected first – and that remains the case for most people.

However, to ensure absolutely everyone is offered the vaccine, people aged 70 and over can now contact the NHS so they can be vaccinated by the middle of this month.

The easiest way to arrange a vaccination is through the national booking service which can be accessed at www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.

The system allows patients to choose a time slot and location that suits them.

Anyone unable to book online can call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.

If a suitable and convenient slot is not available people can also call their GP practice.......contd

[LizzieL]

The ‘clinical conditions’ do look very serious.
 Do the 65-69 yr olds with the same conditions fall into group 4?

No, 65 - 69 year olds with the listed conditions are in group 5, It is entirely based on their age irrespective of having any of the listed conditions, which would make them more vulnerable than a 65 - 69 year old without any underlying conditions.

[LizzieL]

Is this what they are referring to:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2021/02/call-for-people-aged-70-and-over-to-contact-nhs-for-a-covid-jab/

People aged 70 and over who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID and who would like to be are today being asked to contact the NHS to arrange a jab.

Until now the NHS has asked people to wait until they are contacted to help ensure that those who are most vulnerable are protected first – and that remains the case for most people.

However, to ensure absolutely everyone is offered the vaccine, people aged 70 and over can now contact the NHS so they can be vaccinated by the middle of this month.

The easiest way to arrange a vaccination is through the national booking service which can be accessed at www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.

The system allows patients to choose a time slot and location that suits them.

Anyone unable to book online can call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.

If a suitable and convenient slot is not available people can also call their GP practice.......contd

No, our practice has finished groups 1 to 4 and have now jumped to group 6.

[LizzieL]

Has anyone from the practice been asked why and given an answer? 

Yes I have
 This is the answer
"XXXX Medical Practices are following instructions from NHS England.  They have instructed us to go from cohort 4 to cohort 6. Cohort 5 patients will be vaccinated separately and will receive a letter from NHS England indicating what they need to do. Again, this is a decision made by NHS England, and not XXXX Medical Practices.
I hope that NHS England will be in contact with cohort 5 in the very near future."

Plenty of people in group 6 on the Practice website this morning saying they had an invitation, some mentioning they were in their 30's.
If I were 4 years younger I would be in group 6 and qualify for an invitation

 

[josey]

Well the amount of vaccine thats been left out the fridge or the fridge has been switched off is getting ridiculous. Okay we knew there was always a chance especially with pfizer there could be problems but all that waste and expense! There's simple solutions e.g a notice Please do not switch off.

I used to work in a blood transfusion laboratory where we kept blood in fridges which had continuously  recorded temperatures. We had to keep these paper record sheets for years. Once the blood had been crossmatched, left the lab & went to the wards & was signed over, it was disheartening to see how cavalierly it was treated. And some wasted, just like the vaccines.

[Maiden Stone]

Is this what they are referring to:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2021/02/call-for-people-aged-70-and-over-to-contact-nhs-for-a-covid-jab/

It says GP practices have been asked to contact their extremely vulnerable patients. Those are the one with clinical conditions which puts them into group 4 along with 70+ age group.
The target for NHS England was to offer 1st vaccination to everyone in the 4 priority groups by mid February, which is Sunday. That's why people 70 and over who haven't received an invitation were told this week to contact their GP practice. NHS Scotland gave the same message.
GPs in Scotland did care homes and are now visiting housebound people in their own homes. I suppose that includes clinically extremely vulnerable people.

I'd assumed that the rest of the Scottish population under 80 would be done in 5 year batches. I wasn't expecting a communication until March or April. However my health board has bundled some 5 year groups together for mass vaccinations. Centres opened in each of the 3 districts in the county on 1st Feb., starting with main towns in each district, progressing to smaller towns and villages later in the month. I thought I would be "done" towards the end of the month. Rapid change of plan last week. Venues for 2nd half of month brought forward to 1st half and a community centre in 1 town was found to be unsuitable and people from there have been invited to the main leisure centre in the nearby bigger town, a shuttle bus being provided for those without transport. Press release said people might only get a day's notice so they should prepare by having a travel plan. Since that news I've been watching out for the postman who now delivers late afternoon. Letter arrived Monday for Friday morning appointment. I need to catch 2 buses to get to the leisure centre, which, although in my postcode, is less convenient than the leisure centre in the other postcode. A friend, a few years older than me has an appointment tomorrow. 

Due to the speed of roll-out in England and Scotland, intervals between groups 4 and 5 are likely to be minimal.
GPs and their representatives whom I heard being interviewed in January and early this month said that their main problem was supply of vaccine e.g. not arriving when expected or delivered at short notice.   
Just seen more posts but don't have time to change this.