Those living in England. Free Flu jab for the those 50 - 64

Our GP surgery was very organized.  My wife and I were given appointments 8 minutes apart.  We walked down together and my wife walked in while I went for a walk around the block to burn up a few minutes. Walked in and a special desk had been set up with a person just for flu jabs, checked me in, and before I could take my seat my name came up on the usual monitor to go through. All doors open so no touching anything, nurse gave the jab while standing up, I continued out through the back door which is normally emergency exit only and I was out of there to meet my waiting wife within 5 minutes.

Our surgery was created from buying of few big old houses, plenty of doors, rooms and hallways, which meant they had their flu clinic in a different part of their main surgery and with a one way system, appointments spread out and no sittling down. I didn't realise that the house we used was even part of their surgery. They put a handmade sign on that building, so that those for a flu jab could enter from the street.

My wife's sister in Edinburgh had an option for in-surgery or drive through so she opted for drive through and never had to get out of the car.

Asda (supermarket) are offering drive through flu jab at some of their stores.

Sounds like they do have plenty according to this statement end of October.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-flu-vaccination-supply-protected-with-new-restrictions-on-exports

The UK had already created a list of what drugs could not be stockpiled or exported, last year. They seem to have added the flu vaccine to that list when the World Health Organisation announced that some northerm hemisphere countries, had not ordered enough flu vaccines and were trying to buy from other countries.

I call weekly for mine too. Going on week 7/8 wince I’ve phoned at least once a week.

What really takes the biscuit is when the consultant asked if I’d had it yet... followed by a bloody text to remind me to get it too!!! The cheek?!

Or maybe my surgery is just useless??

It was actually really upsetting me the other week.


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What is your surgery doing? My cousin forgot that her midwife had told her to get a flu jab, phoned her surgery and got one within the week.

Have you got a chemist near where you work? You can use them to give you the shot. I don't think you will have to pay them as you are allowed this for free, but even if you do, it's not going to cost much. Perhaps phone around to see who can give you an appointment the quickest.

Found a pharmacy three villages away (20? Min drive). They even fitted me in on the same day about two hours after I rang!!! They are a big boots. Third place I tried. The other two were very small pharmacies.

The irony is that when I got home my surgery called to say they had stock in... freakin’ typical!!!


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Found a pharmacy three villages away (20? Min drive). They even fitted me in on the same day about two hours after I rang!!! They are a big boots. Third place I tried. The other two were very small pharmacies.

The irony is that when I got home my surgery called to say they had stock in... freakin’ typical!!!

Boots do seem to be prioritising this year, due to the high take up of the flu vaccine. You have got in before the ages 50 - 64, from 1st December.

You know next time that if your surgery are slow and you want a vaccine, you can use a chemist. Sometines a GP surgery might have the flu vaccines but their clinics are booked up for weeks and it can be quicker and easier for some,  to go to one of the many chemists, even in the supermarkets.

The UK have 30 million flu vaccines, but some EU countries are woefully short as they failed to order enough and are looking to buy from other countries. Ironically, one of these is a country that stopped selling PPE to other EU countries,  to keep it for themselves when coivid-19 started in Europe.

Flu cases in the southern hemisphere countries seem to have been low this year, which they think is due to people social distancing, wearing masks and washing their hands more often.