What Is The Matter With These People ?

[Bobbisox1]

Surely a phone call to say they weren’t going for their second vaccine, pure laziness!


https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19275404.darlington-anger-dismay-nearly-130-people-fail-turn-second-covid-jabs/

[Mamyalynne]

That's a high number for one centre on one day, I wonder if everyone actually got their message to attend?

[Bobbisox1]

Not sure but according to local reports, the people are blaming it being a BH ?

[Ken4155]

Snap, mamy. Otherwise it looks like a planned stay away protest? :-(

[Mamyalynne]

I didn't see the people say that's why they'd missed, as you say, best to at least cancel then that slot can be reallocated.

[Ken4155]

A possible scenario; patient A goes on FB to query the appointment falling on a BH and is told by FB's resident experts that there aren't any vaccinations on a BH. Word travels fast along the internet grapevine, with just a few checking whether or not this is the case. Isn't this how FB works?

[Bobbisox1]

It’s not in the newspaper report but mentioned as being a possible cause on local TV
Ken, why would they have their first one then protest against a second ?

[TonyV]

Yes OK Bobbi, I just want to say it's surely just good manners to advise vaccination centre that you cannot make appointment, rather than the vaccine going to waste.

[Buenchico]

My original jab appointments were 11 weeks apart but that got changed to 10 weeks when my first jab was postponed due to heavy snowfall forcing the early closure of the centre. I got text reminders for the first one but nothing at all to remind me about the second one.

I'm totally disorganised with most things in my life but I do keep a diary sheet next to my desk, with important appointments noted on it. So I turned up at the right date and time for my second jab but I can see how easy it might have been for someone who doesn't look at a calendar or diary sheet every day to have forgotten about their appointment.

So perhaps people in Darlington were also relying on text reminders about their second jabs, and then missed their appointments because they didn't receive any such reminders?

Also, If I'd had a legitimate reason for not attending my appointment, I'm not sure which phone number I should have called to cancel or rearrange it. Perhaps there were people in Darlington who wanted to change their appointment but who didn't know who to call?

[Mamyalynne]

Maybe the appointments were sent out over weekend and folk hadn't picked up their messages?

It just feels like something has failed in the process to me.

[naomi24]

I thought you got your letter or text or phone call and then made an appointment for a specific time. This sounds like they made an appointment and just didn’t show up. If that’s what happened they should be ashamed of themselves.

[wolf63]

It sounds like they may have not received the letter advising them of their appointment.

I'm getting my second jag tomorrow and the letter had only arrived yesterday. I am not very reliable when it comes to opening my mail so I am glad that I tried to pretend that I was a grown-up.

[TonyV]

For my 1st one, I got a letter with website so I could get a time and date convenient for me, still had to queue for 45 mins though.

[naomi24]

Everyone I know has has received notification that their group is next of the list and they’ve had to
either phone or go on line to make an appointment that suits them. They have subsequently received confirmation and a reminder but they had to make the appointment initially. They weren’t just sent a random date and time to attend.

[wolf63]

I had a phone call inviting me for my first jag - one day's notice. But this time I got a letter with a time and a date.

I was impressed at how organised they were at the centre.

[Togo]

I was reading somewhere that having the first jab but not the second is not a good position to be in with the "new variants" gaining ground. It leaves them in a particularly vulnerable state apparently. Worse than having no jab at all in fact. It is worth noting that about 5% of the population of Darlington is from the Black and Asian communities, and I wonder what the % of missed appointments was compared to the completed 2nd doses.

[Hopkirk]

I don't see why being a bank holiday should make any difference to people wanting to go. What else is there to do?

[Bobbisox1]

This would suggest they’d been contacted otherwise why would the Trust be so definite

// The Darlington Primary Care Network tweeted: "Yes we know it's a Bank Holiday but 129 people DID NOT ATTEND for their 2nd dose appointments yesterday and they didn't cancel them.

"Our team are giving up their Bank Holiday and have this extra stress as we have another clinic today so please turn up to get your 2nd dose.//

[piggynose]

all of them might have suffered side effects, is memory loss one of them?

[pixie374]

This isn't an excuse, but there has been some issues with side-effects and possible blood clots, since the first. So, maybe has put people off?
I've also been advised now, not to have the second- due to an allergy to the first. But, they are unable to cancel it. I have to ring on the day.