How are we getting through it?

[Techno II]

Of all the jabs I've had over the past 2 years +.....The pneumonia one is the only one I've had a 'bad' reaction to....Felt very 'fluey'....but it wore off after a couple of hours.

Cheers - Phil

[fred.]

My wife has her third covid jab tomorrow (third, not booster - not entirely sure what the difference is, but there clearly is as she has been told she must have a purple form). Got my flu jab next week - my booster's not due for ages though. 

[Techno II]

You've lost me on that one, Forbes.

Shirley    (Sic)..it must be the booster ??

Ian's probably the best for info' on this sort of thing, as he's definitely been 'doing far more than his bit' in being a marshal for the 'jab centers'.

What on Earth is a purple form ? ...Never heard of that before.

Cheers - Phil.

[kustenjaeger]

My wife had her COVID booster on Thursday - mine is on 4 December. She felt a bit off colour and sleepy for a couple of hours. We had our flu jabs last month.

Edward

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Ian's probably the best for info' on this sort of thing, as he's definitely been 'doing far more than his bit' in being a marshal for the 'jab centers'.

Not heard of any purple forms in our area - blue cards for the first two, electronically recorded for all 3. Also not heard of any jabs for pneumoinia (sic)

[John Cook]

Shirley    (Sic)..it must be the booster ??

No, the third jab is not the booster.  It is a third primary jab for people with badly suppressed immune system, typically as a result of other treatment.  It is in addition to the other two primary jabs, normally given at least 8 weeks after the second.  My wife and sister in law are receiving treatment for Breast Cancer and the latter also has Crohn's Disease.  Their treatment has immunosuppressant effects and they received a third shot some time ago.

The booster jab is different and is a 'top-up' to extend the life of, and in addition to, the primary jabs.  People who've had three primary jabs will still need a booster.  My wife and I had our boosters, and flu jabs, a couple of weeks ago with no discernible side effects, but we never do. 

The only form that goes by the name of 'Purple' that I know of is the one for Do Not Attempt Resuscitation, which a patient can ask for and will be signed by a doctor.  My father requested one when he was in a care home towards the end of his life.  The patient will know if they've completed one.

As an aside, this thread seems to demonstrate how inefficient, badly organised and administered the NHS is.  I have thought, for a long time, that it needs a root and branch overhaul.  Unfortunately it is a political sacred cow. so there seems little chance of that.

[fred.]

Yes what John said at far more length than I could be bothered to type on my phone. 

Apart from the DNR bit. 

[Gwydion]

As an aside, this thread seems to demonstrate how inefficient, badly organised and administered the NHS is.  I have thought, for a long time, that it needs a root and branch overhaul.  Unfortunately it is a political sacred cow. so there seems little chance of that.

Really?
How so?
It suggests to me how well an underfunded and overstretched NHS has done and that most people get their vaccinations on time without much difficulty.

Outside interpretations of anecdotal evidence, figures suggest that we are on a par with European countries - more than some, fewer than others - for take up - and better than the USA.

[Steve J]

Hmmm, our son has Crohn's and got a booster, not a third jab, so a tad confused on this front.

As for the DNR, it has to be signed by two Dr's, something we found out after my late Mum had been in a care home for a few years.

[John Cook]

Really?
How so?

Well, it isn't just about COVID vaccinations but it is clear from what has been said here that communication is poor, otherwise people would know the difference between the third dose and a booster.  The third dose and Crohn's patients is another example. 
I know from personal experience that the Clinical Commissioning Group where I live withholds certain drugs, even though they have been approved by NICE and licenced in the UK for years, yet in other areas they are readily available.  So the service is uneven and, as a result, people cannot always get the treatment they need which means it is ineffective in country-wide context. 
Then there is my wife's misdiagnosis, for over a year, which was only resolved when she insisted on seeing a specialist, and the nurses who treat her now, and her oncologist, who have told use of the waste in the NHS because of its grinding bureaucracy.  So it is not necessarily a case of underfunding, rather the poor use of the funds it has. 
Then there are the poor clinical outcomes generally, compared with some of our near neighbours, that are a matter of record.  The NHS needs a overhaul to drag it into the 21st century.
I could go on but it is probably not appropriate for this site and I expect I've said enough already, suffice to say that I speak from bitter experience.

[Gwydion]

I agree with you that the NHS should be better.

Why it isn't, and how it should be reformed are no doubt politically as well as clinically contentious, and as you say probably not for these pages.

As for funding issues - well it's difficult to compare countries. However, we rank about half way up/down the list of OECD countries in spending per capita on health care. We spend under half of what the US does on this measure and c80% of what France does. In 2017 we were sixth out of the G7 in per capita spending.

I think the core principle of the NHS is sound.

[jimduncanuk]

My good lady and I got our booster jab yesterday. Managed to get through the rush hour traffic with a minute or two to spare then spent about ten minutes walking to the jabbing centre from the car park at the other end of the site.

Today we both have sore arms and I am incredibly tired, so much so that I almost dozed off half way through a chunky KitKat.

Hope am better by the weekend for Battleground.

[Elliesdad]

I almost dozed off half way through a chunky KitKat.

I suspect you probably needed to start of with a standard 2 finger KitKat, before moving on to the 4 finger ones. Going straight to the chunky KitKat sounds like it was just too much.   

[Steve J]

Ah, Chunky KitKats! Some years ago the local shop to where I work had a batch in that had somehow missed most of the wafer and were 90% or more chocolate. Bu God they were nice and we bought loads .

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Brill for the blood sugar !!