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  2. Be glad you don’t live in the EU whose leaders seem more content on shitting on the UK by weaponizing Astra-Zeneca than protecting the lives of the people who live within its borders.

    It would be bad enough if they were just playing silly buggers with the wellbeing of EU citizens, Sadly, in repeatedly manufacturing concerns about AZ’s efficacy, they’re also sowing doubt in the minds of people in countries where the vaccine’s ease of storage and distribution mean it is almost certain to be a real life saver.

    • The EU has painted itself in a very bad light here. Senior health ministers in Italy where the cases are rising have said the decision is political. Be interesting to see their response tomorrow if the WHO report that it is completely safe.

    • History will condemn them. I’m absolutely aghast at the recklessness. The French interior minister yesterday said openly that they’d coordinated with Italy before making the announcement – I don’t know if it’s shitting on the UK out of Brexit sour grapes or shitting on AZ out of shame at Europe’s appalling vaccine procurement mistakes, but it’s playing one-up politics with millions of lives whichever.

      • I’m seven..cough.splutter..one…

        All the over 75s down here we know have had both jabs now but “young” me has had my first (AZ) one cancelled three times with no definite replacement date yet given.

        Even for me, an ardent European, it’s hard to see how it’s anything but the EU playing politics and, what’s even worse, playing with people’s lives.

        It’s not so long ago that Macron said he might impose more severe lockdown restrictions if our daily cases stayed above 10,000. They were over 30,000 the other day.

        Who would have ever thought us expats would be looking on enviously at the UK rollout programme??

      • Bit of both. The stupid thing is that in adopting such a reckless attitude towards the vaccine and ultimately its people’s health, the EU is going to fuck itself up every which way from Sunday.

        In simultaneously being so slow to roll out an effective vaccination program and so quick to restrict attitude to a cheap and easy solution on its very door step, the EU is simultaneously justifying all the bad things the pro-Brexit lobby felt about the UK.

        Rather than trying to build bridges with the UK (trade between the two is currently at its lowest level since God was a boy), they also seem to doing their best to push Bojo et al into adopting an aggressive “Singapore on Thames” trading stance. The UK’s making a go of such a strategy was one of the potential Brexit outcomes the EU most feared and least wanted as it would likely encourage other waverers to jump ship.

        • “Build Bridges” with a Government that really, really didn’t understand what deal they were signing up to but just wanted to get the hell out of Europe?
          The EU will never allow the UK to have broadly similar trading terms from without or else what’s the point?
          The EU have fucked up the vaccination roll-out and what they are doing right now re AZ is not only stupid but vindictive.
          That in no way justifies any UK decision to Leave – the UK whilst still In rather than Out would have had every right to do what they did and buy ahead. The only decision these fuckers have made right in over year and in the meantime the carry on valuing the safety of statues above that of women.

      • I couldn’t when I did mine. I was asked if I wanted to, but then told there were no dates yet on the next screen.

        The current aim is for all over 50s who want the vaccine to get the first dose by the end of March, and the 4 days I was offered were the last 4 in March so maybe they’re concentrating on hitting that deadline. Or maybe it just varies from centre to centre depending on predicted availability.

        • Unless it has changed recently, the aim was for all over 50s to be “offered” their first dose by the end of March. The booking-in dates are generally a couple of weeks ahead.

        • Scratch that – I got a text my surgery and have now arranged both through them. It took an age to get through of course (I did some ironing and changed the sheets while I ticked down the queue), but it was a breeze once I got through to a person.

        • There seems to be a two pronged attack via letter or gp, but they don’t seem coordinated. I responded to the letter then two days later got a text from the gp inviting me for a jab. I had my jab 4 weeks ago about two weeks after that I had another letter saying I must make an appointment despite having had it done, then another text from the gp saying to make an appointment.
          Booked in for my second early May.

  4. So the EU is bad now? It’s hard to keep up.

    AZ just approved for over 65s in Canada, means my chance of getting one of those fairly soon is gone, they were doing 60-64 year olds in the last few days at certain locations.

    • Certainly looks bad from where I’m sitting – see posts passim

      Now it seems that appaling Ursula van Loathsome is threatening to ban re-export of a potentially life-saving vaccine she doesn’t want EU citizens to have

  5. Had my first dose (Astra Zeneca) on the 8th of February (aged 69 then) at my doctor’s surgery and was booked at the time for my second dose on 3rd of May.

    Had my first monthly self-taken blood sample test result on Monday. Sample taken and sent in on the previous Monday.
    N-antibodies not detected,
    S-antibodies detected.

    No N-antibodies mean it’s unlikely the subject has been previously infected with the virus but doesn’t rule out current infection.
    S-antibodies present indicates the subject has either been previously infected or that they’ve received a vaccine, which I have.

  6. Under 50, with no relevant conditions, and I’m getting my first jab on Saturday morning. Not sure yet if it will be a cool, crisp pint of Pfizer or a stout foaming AstraZeneca (suspect the latter, as it’s at the local GP rather than a hospital).

  8. Booked!
    After getting quite anxious that 2 or 3 of my friends the same age have been called, and a number of younger work colleagues (granted in a different area) were jabbed in the last week.
    Had bother booking on line as my details could not be found.
    Found my NHS Card with number on it, my first name is spelt differently/incorrectly hence the online booking tool said “you don’t exist”.
    First one next Saturday, second dose early June.
    Quite excited, and looking forward to the making the (obligatory) “I have a small prick” joke on Facebook.

  9. Remember a couple of weeks ago when vaccinations were available to people 56 or more, and then a couple of days later they were available to people 55 or more, and it seemed obvious it was because there was a cock up somewhere over what ‘over 55’ meant, but no one mentioned it That was odd.

  10. I’ve become resigned to being vaccinated after absolutely everybody else on the planet, including healthy newborn babies.

    I suppose at least if the vaccine works there’ll be plenty of ventilators free…

  11. Thanks for this – prompted me to tell the Light and she has appointment week on Monday.
    I had the Astra Zeneca last Saturday. Was definitely tired and “off” for a couple of days, but nothing serious.
    Unless that is what has prompted me to listen to Eric Clapton for the first time in about 30 years. Come to think of it, that’s quite a serious side effect.

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