No hesitation whatsoever in having it done. Mid-60’s and had mine two weeks ago. Back ached for a couple of days, but otherwise absolutely fine, My wife is clinically vulnerable and really should have been done before me, but after calling the GP, lo and behold, she was offered it the following day.
I have difficulty understanding those folk who claim they would only have the jab ‘over my dead body…’ Might one day be the case.
Might be able to explain the two queues depending on how you booked. At our local hub at Lincolnshire show ground there are actually two vaccination centres in the same building. One is the Government run hub. The other is run and staffed by a group of local GP surgeries. If you have underlying health conditions you are dealt with by the GP surgery people as in most cases you will have an ongoing relationship with your GP.
I’ve just been awarded a ‘Nice Topic Badge’ as this thread had over 10 likes.
I’ve also been awarded a ‘Popular Link Badge’ as the link to the booking website had over 50 clicks!
It is a nice topic Paul and very relevant 
Just browsing latest topics yesterday and today I’ve had my first jab! 
On a motoring forum too! I still don’t know whether I was in the right age group? I was just awaiting a call/msg/ email from GP. I’m 65 in a few months and again, I think I was in a group not ready to be called up yet? Not that it matters now! Funny really, Mum in Law (mid 70’s) should have been first in our family, Mrs B beat that (mid 50’s) through work. Then Mum in Law, me next but got beaten to it by Son in Law (39)!
Barrie
Ironic? NHS letter just popped through letterbox advising me to book a test 
Barrie
That’s great! 
But they don’t tell you how to download the vouchers or where you can spend them! 
I think it’s now anyone close to 60 yrs old now, either side that are currently getting the call.
You’re lucky going to the Leeds ground for yours Barrie, although I’m as close to Burton they are doing the vaccines at the stadium, different county of course. I had to go next to DCFC stadium Pride park for my jab. It was done at the newish cycling arena next door
Hi Mick, I had plenty choice to go at TBH. When the mass vaccine programme started, I said would love to get it done at Elland Rd, naively, I imagined I’d be going on the pitch in a marquee! 
I also thought I would just be allocated an appointment at wherever was deemed fit? Well chuffed when I got the choice! I’ve been to events in the Pavilion before, but in its previous temporary structure, and nothing as important as this particular event 
Thought I might have seen Bielsa hanging around!
Barrie
Haha, they wouldn’t let you on the pitch because it’s in such a bad state not to protect the grass! Everyone on there the other night was falling over
I know Ian, shocking! Still pulled three out of the bag though, without my help! 
Barrie
I had the AZ. After 2 weeks the estimated “effectiveness” defined as preventing one catching the disease if exposed is 65% - but, if you measure effectiveness as keeping you out of hospital it is much nearer 100% - i.e. if you do catch it, it will almost certainly be mild.
That is the essential level of protection as far as I’m concerned so I’m happy with that.
Had mine last Thursday I’m 61 but underlying health issues, I asked and they agreed my wife who’s age I won’t divulge but is 3 years younger (but looks 20 younger 
) can have it to help protect me but she would have to phone daily for when they have a spare, unfortunately she’s had to go away so no dice. I also felt achy tender and tired but don’t let it stop you, it’s not bad.
I’m 59 & had mine 3 weeks ago. Mind you, I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer 3 years ago & given 6 months to live. All treatment for that came to a stop last march due to covid. Still, all will be fine now I have had the jab, I won’t have to sit in a cupboard under the stairs until I die!!
I’ve just come back from having mine (AstraZenica) done, thanks to @Roadie’s heads up.
There seemed to be far more people manning the facility than actually getting their jabs - makes me wonder whether the roll-out is quite as effective and efficient as we keep getting told that it is. That there is spare capacity to vaccinate those of us who are (slightly) lower on the risk register ahead of those at higher risk suggests that the system is not quite working as it is meant to.
Just back from having ours. Astra Zenica for us. Proper British jab, none of that foreign stuff. If anyone is worried about mixing with others at a vaccination centre I would say don’t worry. Very well organised. Everyone wearing surgical masks, great social distancing, sanitiser everywhere. Right down to someone there to open the door for you so you don’t touch the handle. Helpers poised to sanitise every chair as soon as it has been vacated. Lovely professional, friendly, caring and reassuring people without exception.
There was a constant stream of people arriving and leaving. No queueing to speak of. It might not appear over busy but I would say that was down to an efficient system and the right staffing levels to deal with the number of appointments.
Thank you NHS.
…I work in a GP surgery, and can say that the process has been a bit (?) chaotic. Initially bookings were done via a central source, then the GP surgeries joined in. All the information that is used to assess “who gets it first” comes from data held centrally which is “uploaded” from the GP IT system. The central source then issues lists back to practices which tells them who to call in. There are also a variety of ways people are being contacted, some by phone, some by letter, some from the GP surgery, and some centrally.
There are some “odd” situations where some people are being called in"early" when there is nothing on their medical history that suggests they need to be a priority. (Had one pt that had been invited and phoned up to query it. The person was 18 and had nothing in their history to suggest any medical issues. This was early on in the process and the person was happy to “give up” their slot. There are other people that you would think should be a priority but are not called.
In the early days it was probably simpler as the top tiers were fairly easy to identify, eg everybody over 80, or in a care home. As the process moves on it is obviously getting a little more difficult to identify the more specific groups.
The fact that is a bit chaotic is purely a function of the vast amount of work / logistics that have to be undertaken which nobody has had chance to really plan for and for which there is no precedent, so it’s not surprising really that there are some “teething” problems. (Consider that vaccinations only really started in anger about 10 weeks ago and already 18million people have been jabbed!..26% of the entire population)
I think that considering what is being done and the time frame involved it is probably going as well, (if not better), than we can have hoped for!
As more of the “key groups” are ticked off it will become more of a formality where people can just go on line and select their slot based on capacity and vaccine availability.
The annual flu campaign is now ingrained within GP practices and has become "standard practice, but this process has been in place for years and is well understood and in general only affects people 65+ and in key risk groups. (Covid is a whole different kettle of fish, but I am sure lessons will be learned).
here in St Albans i had a text 2 weeks ago and a jab today and I’m in the 60-64 group. Think postcode health lottery plays a big part!
Surprised you were able to able to link batch number to mmanufacturing supply. The Astra Zeneca vaccine supplied to the UK is sourced from several countries. The MHRA has now cleared imports of vaccine from Serum Institute of India, whch produces the same vaccine in India. Likely when you get your booster in May, it will be the Indian vaccine. Most of the early batches of the AZ vaccine used in the UK were manufacturered in the Netherlands and Germany. The vaccines, whatever brand of the ones in use here, are made of components with an international (mostly European) footprint. The Pfizer vaccine is nominally German, but some components are sources from Yorkshire, for instance. Filling operations are mostly done in Germany.
It doesn’t make any difference where the vaccine come from.
For those in doubt, you also don’t get to choose what brand of vaccine you are served with.
Its funny. Astra Zeneca is the result of Astra pharma (Swedish) acquiring Zeneca (part of ICI). Its HQ’d in the UK, bt is not a British owned company. About 50% of the shareholders are American.
After reading this tread, I checked the website yesterday and it said 64+ (I’m 64), but didn’t make a booking. Today, my invite from NHS dropped through the door, so appointments made for both jabs starting next week then mid-May. Not got one for SWMBO yet…
Hmm, on my vaccination card it only says Astra Zeneca BN: AB0008 Date:5/2/21
On the accompanying info leaflet it also says the manufacturer was
MedImmune UK Ltd
6 Renaissance Way
Liverpool L24 9JW.
It also says what is in it, a long list for 0.5ml.
On the face of it, my batch could have been made in UK, but it’s not absolute proof.