Covid Booster

Mon 22 Nov 2021, 18:30

Out of interest, I have downloaded the NHS vaccination information and plotted the cumulative cumulative number of 2nd vaccination doses with the booster doses, but with the latter offset by a period of time. I get an excellent fit with 29 weeks difference, so the gap between 2nd and 3rd…

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Sun 21 Nov 2021, 10:56

Curious as I am to find out more about how some posters on here think they know when I was vaccinated, I now see that only this week will those in my age bracket begin to have the opportunity to book booster jabs.

Sat 20 Nov 2021, 18:23 (last edited on Sat 20 Nov 2021, 19:06)

Christine is correct. There is a gap between the second dose and the booster for a good reason, and it's because it is more effective that way. The 6 month gap is as advised by the JCVI.

This is a chart of vaccine booster doses per hundred people from…

Long post - click to read full text

Sat 20 Nov 2021, 15:09 (last edited on Sat 20 Nov 2021, 15:10)

When I was in Germany back in late August/ early September the NHS app was invaluable as you weren’t allowed into ANY restaurant or bar without proof of vaccination.

It looks like this country is starting to get stricter in terms of having to show vaccination status to enter theatres, nightclubs, sports venues etc. so they will have to come up with a solution for people to easily access their information without a smartphone.

I think the NHS has done an amazing job in rolling out the vaccine thus far but as ever there will always be critics whilst a blue flag flies above No. 10…

Sat 20 Nov 2021, 10:45

Not everyone has a smart phone, and not everyone wants such personal data on their smart phones, even if they do have them. 

My P.S. to Nikki's post was an attempt to help those who need the updated Covid vaccination details, but don't want or can't have the smart phone app.

Gareth seems to be objecting to the 6 month time lag between vaccine shots (reduced now to 5 months for very vulnerable people). But this is what has been shown to be most effective from a medical point of view in terms of increasing the effectiveness of the vaccine. There have been numerous problems with the roll-out of the booster and other 3rd jabs, but the need to have an extended period between jabs is not one of them.

Sat 20 Nov 2021, 09:49

Christine - I have a smartphone and have used it for Covid passes to prove vaccination status.

The issue I am raising is that the NHS website is forcing me and others to wait for a booster jab.  “World-beating” vaccination programme?  My foot.

Sat 20 Nov 2021, 09:36 (last edited on Sat 20 Nov 2021, 09:44)

I thoroughly recommend reading what Nikki wrote. As she says, what she writes is only relevant to those with smart phones. Those with computers but without a smart phone need to go to https://www.nhsapp.service.nhs.uk/login instead.

In fact I often prefer the PC version and then email the pdf file to myself (or store it on my computer and/or my phone).

Gareth thinks all of this is not relevant for him, but he will find it relevant if he wants to travel abroad & maybe also domestically at some point.

Sat 20 Nov 2021, 09:10 (last edited on Sat 20 Nov 2021, 09:13)

Ah, I can see there’s some confusion here....let me see if I can help.

Christine has summarised it well but some are clearly understandably still confused.

If you don’t have a smart phone I suggest you abandon this thread and go away and have a cup of tea.  You are all right however about booking your booster on line on the NHS website when you are eligible.

There are two blue health Apps, the Covid 19 tracer App which you needed in the past to check into various places, that is the one that pings you when you come into contact with a positive person who also has the Covid 19 App,

 (when you are contacted by Test and Trace) and the NHS App which is the «  vaccine passport »

This is a secure and confidential App linked to your Practice which gives you ,not only your Covid vaccine information, but every vaccine and test result you’ve  had for years. You cannot book a vaccination on an App.but you can see all your consultations and order your prescriptions in a flash.

It is a real faff to set up, understandably to ensure it is secure and confidential, but once ( hopefully) you’ve done it, it’s there. IF you have recently had the booster it will now show as  discovered by the CMC patient group this morning, and if you are planning to travel abroad, you will need to show your vaccine passport QR code ( frequently) . The Vaccine passport section is first under view Covid 19 records,  and separate from the rest of the information from your medical records. 

I won’t try to explain how you convert your NHS vaccine passport into the EU one ( known as TousCovid in France) but several of us know how to do it ! 

I hope you’re all Appy now........

Fri 19 Nov 2021, 19:46

I simply booked by booster shot using the NHS web page. I booked it one day and was vaccinated at Kassam Stadium the following afternoon, and it was super easy.

I don't have the NHS app myself, in large part because I don't have a smartphone. However, if anybody is having trouble with booking boosters via the app then I'd recommend the web page.

Fri 19 Nov 2021, 19:04

My NHS app (not the check-in one which has given up the ghost, in another success of this government) gives me the set-up for a Covid pass but nothing more.

Irrelevant anyway - the NHS website tells me I can’t have a booster.  Must be too young or something.  Ha!

Fri 19 Nov 2021, 18:47 (last edited on Fri 19 Nov 2021, 18:55)

Gareth, it's not the app for checking into venues, but the other one which (for me, at least) involves checking in with a password and which only lasts for a month before getting updated.

The details don't show up when I open the pdf file, but my vaccination dates and batch numbers (including the booster!) were there when I opened up the app just now. They appear under "View Covid-19 Records".

As far as I can tell the checking-in app is also working OK on my android phone.

Both apps are blue! This is in response to Harriet's comment. One says NHS (that's the one), the other says NHS Covid-19. I have QR codes on both apps, because I emailed myself a copy of my vaccination records.

Fri 19 Nov 2021, 18:43 (last edited on Fri 19 Nov 2021, 18:46)

Gareth my NHS app tells me when I had the vaccinations (date, type and batch number) but doesn't currently mention the booster because I only booked it yesterday for beginning of December. My daughter's app tells her the same thing. 

Open the app (it's the blue one that calls itself NHS app, don't know what the QR code one looks like) log in and click on the heart shaped my health icon at the bottom and the info about vaccines is second in the list

Fri 19 Nov 2021, 18:20

Nikki - it is unclear which app you are referring to but one has no such details and the other (the QR code) has said for weeks that it’s not operational.  The app tells me I am not entitled to a booster vaccine.

Fri 19 Nov 2021, 18:15

Kassam as fast and efficient a service as ever, including glass of water and loads of parking!

Fri 19 Nov 2021, 15:01

Those of you who use the NHS App will be pleased to learn that your booster details are now available on it from this morning . Those having been vaccinated very recently may have to wait a week or so to see it. 

There is a further Covid vaccination clinic on Tuesday 23 rd in the early afternoon and eligible patients of CMC will have been contacted.  

Tue 16 Nov 2021, 11:44

We went to Exeter Hall yesterday morning, I agree about the parking, we managed to dive into a space someone else had just vacated. They were saying that it’s not normally like that, they normally have 600 booked appointments, for which they expect only about 400 to turn up! (This may not be people deciding against it, but I think if you’ve got an appointment booked, you can’t cancel it, only rearrange, and if in the meantime your own GP has called you in, they say don’t worry, the vaccine will be used for walk-ins). Anyway, they were saying that yesterday morning, more booked people had turned up than expected, plus they were down to 4 vaccinators instead of the usual 6. We were still in and out in 45 minutes, having waited our 15 minutes afterwards.

Tue 16 Nov 2021, 10:46

We went to Exeter Hall Kidlington yesterday afternoon. A bit of mayhem and shambles, they also had a walkin covid booster clinic on at the same time using the same facilities. There were two ques one for prebooked and one for walkin, but there was no way of telling which one was which. This also meant the car park was overloaded. This time there were no laptops like at Kassam in the spring, instead tried and tested methods like post it notes and felt tip pens were used. This time my NHS number was printed on the booking acknowledgement - this was helpful. At Kassam I was asked about my NHS number at least three times. Got the Pfizer, the total time from arriving to back in the car was 55 minutes.

Sun 14 Nov 2021, 14:28

Lol John!

Some apps are rubbish, but these are excellent.

Sun 14 Nov 2021, 14:21

Hannen - do these make you an 'appy person?

Sun 14 Nov 2021, 13:54

Excellent apps.

I have the "main" one which enables me to order repeat prescriptions which the lovely Averose Pharmacy deliver to me, and the Covid one which I use to check into venues.

Sun 14 Nov 2021, 12:00

NHS app is recommended, it has updates of your innoculations, not only covid, but goes way back on every hospital appointment etc., you have every had. You may need to download the QR code on to your phone, if you need to show that you have been double jabbed if you want to go to the Theatre etc.,  A fiddle but once done it's done!

Sun 7 Nov 2021, 14:41 (last edited on Sun 7 Nov 2021, 14:42)

Just booked my booster online closest is at Exeter Hall kidlington very easy to do.

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 18:12

Thank you everyone for advice. I have attached a card with the Booster jab and flu jab to the official card. I have also listed all dates in my Diary. 

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 17:46

Robin got done at Chippy, so easy 10 mins up the road, so may be worth waiting for the official call up.

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 17:06 (last edited on Sat 6 Nov 2021, 17:06)

I had my booster at Kassam Stadium (I'm in the over 65 group). I booked it on-line on Wednesday and had it on Thursday afternoon. All very straightforward and, unlike Charlbury, no shortage of car parking space.

As far as I can tell the vast majority, if not all boosters are of the Pfizer vaccine.

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 15:09 (last edited on Sun 7 Nov 2021, 21:14)

Call 119. 

NHS also has all your Immunisations under your GP health record. 

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 14:46

Jean, you should have at least 2 stickers on the card that Peter mentions. This gives dates of the two primary vaccinations. If you are with the Chipping Norton practice you probably have 3 stickers (the 2 primary vaccinations, plus one also for the booster).

Unfortunately CMC did not, in most cases, give out stickers for the booster jab as they had run out, at least when they gave the booster vaccination to most of the over 70s on 19 October. I got them to write on my card the date and batch number of the booster vaccine, but this was not standardly offered. 

It is possible to upload your vaccination records via the NHS app, but I have to confess that I find it a real fiddle. 

If you really can't find the card with the stickers and also can't work it out, I suggest calling 119 since they will surely have access to your vaccination records. I don't think that you will be able to book unless the necessary time period has elapsed. 

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 14:03

Jean: when you received your first jab, you should have been given a card indicating which vaccine you had and the date.  This should have been updated when you had your second jab.

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 13:48

Yes very confusing. Who  / where are the records of your jabs? On your own Medical records?

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 12:10

Jean, if you mean the first booster (i.e. a third jab), the answer is that it absolutely is recommended.

However, some people have needed a third jab because of a compromised immune system. This counts as a third primary jab, not as a booster.

If that includes you, the booster vaccination would be offered after at least 182 days have passed since you received your last primary vaccination. If somebody chooses to take up the offer of the third primary dose, this would count as their last primary vaccination. Declining the offer of the third primary jab means that the last primary dose would be the second dose of the vaccine. 

Yes, very confusing terminology ... but the message is boost a.s.a.p.

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 11:44

Many thanks for posting. Booked at Exeter Hall Kidlington.

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 09:48

Yes, we’re both having ours at Chippy as every time we get offered one in Charlbury we are always away!  Did this on line.  And yes Jean it’s recommended to have third booster jab - so get yours!

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 09:28

Is a third booster recommended?

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 09:09 (last edited on Sun 7 Nov 2021, 21:17)

You can now book Booster (3rd jab) 5 months after 2nd jab, for an appt 6 months from 2nd dose. 

Click https://www.nhs.uk/book-covid-booster or call 119.  Choose a time and a place that suits you.

Sat 6 Nov 2021, 08:40

I have just discovered it is now possible to book ahead online for the over 50’s third booster vaccination on the NHS website.

We are over a week away from the 6 month gap from our second dose, but have been able to secure a booking at Exeter Hall Kidlington for an appropriate date. Media coverage suggested that it would be available from Monday - but you can do it now