Very positive vaccination experience today, details for what they are worth & recording credit where credit's due when many just seem to want to be negative/criticise.
As aged 64 yrs3 months (no underlying health condition other than fondness for wine & awaiting a hip replacement - re latter advised min 12mths for that from consultant discussion 1st Dec 2020) I wasn't expecting to hear anything about an age related band vaccination for a few weeks at best but last Thurs (whilst sat in my opticians) got a local PCN initiated text inviting me to apply for an appointment. Went for the first available on the basis no reason at all to delay, confirmed by immediate text response, was today at 13.40 at a GP Surgery Health Centre in a poor area on the other side of Preston to my home.
Arrived just prior to duly appointed time. First class experience. No queue, walked straight in, personal details checked/ID'd and appropriate pre-vac questions asked in foyer then straight through to a room with two lady vaccinators. I never even got to sit down ! As I pulled up my polo shirt sleeve I was jabbed immediately. Asking what I'd been given was told the Pfizer Biontech (as given some weeks ago to my 80+ In Laws and Mother). The lady vaccinator explained what one might be given was purely a matter of which vaccine the centre had been supplied with that day. One way system took me to a waiting area with socially distanced others who'd also been 'done' for a precautionary 15 mins wait then out via a different door to that entered & back onto the street. As soon as a seat/seats were vacated another lady sanitised the chair(s). Probably less than 20 mins (or less) in all. Very, very impressive as were the excellent, all smiley, very pleasant, friendly & uber professional operatives.
So far feel A1. Arm hasn't even twinged. Wife (age 58) went for her jab, taxi'd by self, Saturday evening, in different town centre location under a different 'regime', as a County Council key worker. Her vaccine was the Oxford AZ one & whilst she also reported a slick process she woke in the small hours of Sunday with all the 'very common' side effects & felt pretty ropey all day Sunday - is now ok.
All in all hugely impressive exercise from just our two small, individual cog, experiences. Kudos to Government, NHS, local organisations, vaccination teams etc etc. Assuming matters continue, or even ramp up, in similar vein, subject to no supply issues intervening/slowing the process, then all the government suggested/aimed for targets look readily achievable.