Read on Twitter
I took my son for his Covid booster recently.
The entire experience was very stressful, from start to finish.
It shouldn’t be like this.
Maybe I’ve just been unlucky, but I’m going to share my experience below & am interested to hear if others have experienced similar…
The entire experience was very stressful, from start to finish.
It shouldn’t be like this.
Maybe I’ve just been unlucky, but I’m going to share my experience below & am interested to hear if others have experienced similar…
I received an official email from the NHS on 10 October confirming that my son had been identified as an individual at increased risk due to a health condition and inviting me to book his Autumn booster.
(I also received a similar letter by post about a week later).
(I also received a similar letter by post about a week later).
Whilst ALL children are actively encouraged to get boosted against Covid in many other countries (including the US & Canada), access to the child vaccine is heavily restricted in England.
Receiving this invitation was therefore somewhat akin to receiving a golden ticket!
Receiving this invitation was therefore somewhat akin to receiving a golden ticket!
I got straight on the case & visited the NHS website to find out which vaccine centres near me were offering the booster for under 12’s.
You can filter by age on the NHS website so it only shows you walk-in centres offering the booster for 5-11 yr olds.
You can filter by age on the NHS website so it only shows you walk-in centres offering the booster for 5-11 yr olds.
There was only one walk-in centre close to us offering the booster to 5-11 yr olds.
Before heading there, I thought I’d give them a quick call to check they were definitely doing it.
It’s lucky I rang first because they weren’t. It was an error on the NHS website, apparently.
Before heading there, I thought I’d give them a quick call to check they were definitely doing it.
It’s lucky I rang first because they weren’t. It was an error on the NHS website, apparently.
I started looking at vaccine centres further away. The next nearest was well over an hour away…
I rang them. They weren’t doing the child booster either.
I rang another few centres which showed up on the list, all well over an hour away. Still no joy.
I rang them. They weren’t doing the child booster either.
I rang another few centres which showed up on the list, all well over an hour away. Still no joy.
One confirmed that they *should* be doing the child booster but hadn’t received any stocks of the paediatric dose yet.
They weren’t sure when they would be receiving it.
They’d had no info about it at all.
They weren’t sure when they would be receiving it.
They’d had no info about it at all.
By now, I’d called every walk-in vax centre within a 2 hour radius.
I gave up and tried the other option, booking a specific appointment time rather than a walk-in appointment.
This brought up a few different options, mainly hospitals rather than pharmacies.
I gave up and tried the other option, booking a specific appointment time rather than a walk-in appointment.
This brought up a few different options, mainly hospitals rather than pharmacies.
The nearest place offering a booking was a 40 minute drive away (not great, but could be worse!) and it was only offering the child vax on one specific afternoon of one specific day which was several weeks away.
I booked a slot.
I booked a slot.
Several weeks passed by…
The day of the appointment arrived.
My son was feeling quite anxious about it. Understandably, he is quite fearful of needles having had to endure so many blood tests and other medical procedures since a young age due to his medical condition.
The day of the appointment arrived.
My son was feeling quite anxious about it. Understandably, he is quite fearful of needles having had to endure so many blood tests and other medical procedures since a young age due to his medical condition.
Armed with my letter confirming my son’s eligibility, I was hoping we would be in & out very quickly.
We waited outside until we were called.
Soon, it was our turn…
We waited outside until we were called.
Soon, it was our turn…
On entering the treatment room, the first thing I noticed was that there were no windows open & neither of the healthcare workers in the room were wearing a face-mask…
…despite the fact that this was a vaccine clinic specifically for the most clinically vulnerable children.
…despite the fact that this was a vaccine clinic specifically for the most clinically vulnerable children.
The sad truth is that very few healthcare workers in England wear a mask anymore, even around the most clinically vulnerable & immunocompromised patients.
It’s no longer required by the NHS so they don’t bother.
It’s no longer required by the NHS so they don’t bother.
The lady administering the vaccine invited us to take a seat while she took my son’s details.
“I’m going to need to take full details about your son’s health condition. I’ve already turned away quite a few children who’ve come for the vaccine today” she warned me, ominously…
“I’m going to need to take full details about your son’s health condition. I’ve already turned away quite a few children who’ve come for the vaccine today” she warned me, ominously…
She wasn’t interested in looking at my invitation letter and proceeded to aggressively interrogate me for the next 10 minutes about my son’s medical history…
What his diagnosis was; what medication he was on; when he was last hospitalised, etc.
What his diagnosis was; what medication he was on; when he was last hospitalised, etc.
She did not have access to his medical notes on her system so I had to pull up consultant letters from my phone to prove that what I was saying was true.
Thank goodness I had them saved on there, otherwise I’m fairly sure we’d have been sent home.
It was incredibly stressful.
Thank goodness I had them saved on there, otherwise I’m fairly sure we’d have been sent home.
It was incredibly stressful.
Eventually she seemed convinced and my son was given the jab.
I then asked if my daughter could also be given a booster as the sibling of a clinically vulnerable child (I’d brought her along just in case and she was waiting outside in the car with my mum)…
I then asked if my daughter could also be given a booster as the sibling of a clinically vulnerable child (I’d brought her along just in case and she was waiting outside in the car with my mum)…
…But no, apparently she was not eligible.
The lady went on to explain that “it’s better for children to keep their immunity topped up naturally.”
The lady went on to explain that “it’s better for children to keep their immunity topped up naturally.”
I managed to keep my cool and calmly explained:
“Given what we know about the long-term vascular & neurological risks of Covid, I’d prefer my kids to get their immunity through vaccination rather than infection, like they recommend in America, Canada & many other countries”.
“Given what we know about the long-term vascular & neurological risks of Covid, I’d prefer my kids to get their immunity through vaccination rather than infection, like they recommend in America, Canada & many other countries”.
https://twitter.com/_catinthehat/status/1668577909836075008
Having said my piece, we promptly left the room.
I was glad my son got his booster in the end, but it had been a very stressful experience.
And I couldn’t help but think of the other parents she’d mentioned who’d already been turned away that day.
Parents like @AprilMay001 👇🏻
I was glad my son got his booster in the end, but it had been a very stressful experience.
And I couldn’t help but think of the other parents she’d mentioned who’d already been turned away that day.
Parents like @AprilMay001 👇🏻
https://twitter.com/aprilmay001/status/1722239947393135096
It shouldn’t be this hard to protect our kids.
They spend their days crammed into poorly ventilated classrooms where illnesses like Covid spread like wildfire.
By the end of the Autumn term, nearly 1 in 10 children in English schools were off sick purely due to illness.
They spend their days crammed into poorly ventilated classrooms where illnesses like Covid spread like wildfire.
By the end of the Autumn term, nearly 1 in 10 children in English schools were off sick purely due to illness.
62,000 children are already suffering from the debilitating effects of Long Covid…
…and, as more & more children are infected, the more this number grows.
…and, as more & more children are infected, the more this number grows.
https://twitter.com/_catinthehat/status/1646443953745534976
Everything they told us about Covid and kids was a lie right from the start.
There are now scientific studies which dispel every flawed argument that they gave us - see thread below 🧵👇🏻
And yet, the vast majority of people still believe every single one of these myths.
There are now scientific studies which dispel every flawed argument that they gave us - see thread below 🧵👇🏻
And yet, the vast majority of people still believe every single one of these myths.
https://twitter.com/_catinthehat/status/1671086897735630848
Why is it that ALL children (over 6 months) are eligible in many other countries, including America & Canada…
…and yet, here in the UK, we practically have to beg to even get our high risk children vaccinated?
It shouldn’t be this way.
There should be a choice.
…and yet, here in the UK, we practically have to beg to even get our high risk children vaccinated?
It shouldn’t be this way.
There should be a choice.
https://twitter.com/cdcdirector/status/1705349114190295043
As this article so eloquently points out:
“We fundamentally do not know the extent of the long-term damage continual reinfection with COVID will cause to children, and the data we have so far are upsetting… What are we willing to risk?”
calgaryherald.com/opinion/column…
“We fundamentally do not know the extent of the long-term damage continual reinfection with COVID will cause to children, and the data we have so far are upsetting… What are we willing to risk?”
calgaryherald.com/opinion/column…
UPDATE: a few people suggested I double check the eligibility criteria for my daughter to get the booster.
Sadly, the nurse is right. 😢
For the Autumn 2023 campaign, they’ve changed the criteria for ‘household contacts’ of someone in a high risk group to over 12’s only.
Sadly, the nurse is right. 😢
For the Autumn 2023 campaign, they’ve changed the criteria for ‘household contacts’ of someone in a high risk group to over 12’s only.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
