//THE NHS is gearing up for a major roll out of a Covid jab from next month – with five mass vaccination centres ready before Christmas.//
I thought it was October 8th today. Obviously it's April 1st.
My local doctors' surgery was running a 'flu vaccine session last Friday. My neighbour went to what was described as a "walk in clinic". She was given an hour's slot in which to attend. She's 83. It was raining heavily and none too warm. She queued in the car park (they had one of those "up and down" queuing arrangements marked off with ropes) for forty minutes and entry was through the fire escape door at the back. The actual surgery (with a large, airy and warm waiting room) was screened off. All the doors and windows were open. She had her shot administered in what seemed like a storage cupboard. She was then swiftly seen off the premises immediately, before she could even put her raincoat back on, through a second emergency exit the other side of the building. She was one of the lucky ones. Her "walk in" appointment was for between 10am to 11am. Her friend had the noon to 1pm slot and received a phone call at 10.30 telling her not to bother as they had run out of shots.
So, a mass vaccination programme for Covid. Here's another couple of snippets:
"There is hope that by the end of this year we may have a vaccine. There is hope."
"Leaked provisional plans asked NHS teams to be ready from late October for mass vaccination. But with no treatment yet ready, the timings have been pushed back."
If you don't mind, I'll not hold my breath. But, there's some good news:
"Officials also aim to change the rules to allow a much wider group of health workers to give Covid jabs – including dietitians, chiropodists and vets."
I've always said that vittenries make far better doctors than doctors and they are certainly far more skilled in the administration of their businesses. Maybe when I take Rover for his distemper and hardpad injection the vet can sit me up on the table and and shove a Covid jab into my backside. There's far more chance of that than my getting one from a chiropodist who has done a quick conversion course.