General Chat

At the moment, Caroline, vaccinations are not mandatory by any employer that I am aware of but I know that sometime in November that will change for all care workers.

I can see it will be a sticky subject for both employers, unions and workforces but my own opinion is that all would be safer if all were vaccinated so I think Boris needs to pull his finger out before winter. I am not including people with serious health problems that would preclude them from having the vaccine, of course.

If I upset anyone, I apologise in advance but the scenario of someone being scared of needles would not affect my opinion should vaccination become compulsory because I feel they ought to be able to grit their teeth and stick out their arms, fearful or not. If they keel over, they can be picked up and placed on a daybed/stretcher until they come round but, my oh my, I do believe that they may eventually be glad that they’ve been vaccinated.

Let's be honest all the vaccines are new enough for use against Covid that no one is 100% sure when a booster will be needed.

It will be very interesting to watch in the next few weeks as companies start to enforce the vaccine. Some unions will demand their workers not be vaccinated, will strikes occur to defend that I wonder? That said where my OH works there's approx 3000 workers in total. A few months back one worker who had Covid at the time but was functioning turned up at work for a discipline meeting for another matter (they didn't know he had Covid they said later and he would have lied to get into the building). He turned up early went into the canteen took his mask off and started eating...knowing he had Covid...HR wanted him sacked; not for the first time; because of other reasons and demanded it because of this situation......the union and one member of management wanted him kept on....fellow workers fed up with him never pulling his weight and being a safety issue turning up high/drunk wanted him out....he's still working there to this day.....those union reps though are now worried they misjudged it and might lose next election.....point being unions might go out on a limb for people not to be vaccinated even if their members want it.....one things for sure anyone sacked that takes it to court won't get heard any time soon with the courts being as backed up as they are.

I’ve read nothing about the boosters apart from when we expect them, Maggie, however the different vaccine for those who have had the AZ jab rings with what my brother said before Christmas - ie that the best scenario would be for someone who has had the AZ jab to be given a different type as the second jab.

It did occur to me that perhaps the AZ jab wakes up one’s own defence system quicker and better than the other jabs do - but I am not a scientist and probably read somewhere how much better is to boost one’s own system if one can than to rely completely on medication.

It's confusing!

Times 30 July
"Anyone who has received two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will get a different one as a booster shot in the autumn, it is understood.
MRNA is a type of vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are mRNA vaccines, but AstraZeneca is not."

Telegraph 6 August
"AstraZeneca vaccine ‘may protect against Covid for longer and eliminate need for booster’
Jab might elicit stronger T-cell response than those produced by Pfizer and Moderna, according to the firm’s chief executive"

No country can ever get its population correct, I’d agree, Sylvia because recent births and deaths would not be registered, so a calculated guess would be the best someone can make.

And I’d agree with your last sentence, Sylvia, but I am sure that some in la-la land would object vehemently.

I have not had an invitation yet, Maggie, and, surprisingly neither has OH who usually gets his flu booster fairly early (September).

I’ve not read anything about those who had the AZ jab perhaps not needing a booster. I had the AZ too and I would object to being used as a test case if that is in the back of someone’s mind.

Are you arguing abut the percentage of people vaccinated in countries around the word, or answering Caroline's opening post about vaccination being mandated for certain workers, some people or everyone.

Reading this, most of you are arguing about something that is useless to argue about.

NO country has got the correct percentages, because no country a) knows its current population down to the last person, and b) every country has probably vaccinated people who are not officially resident in that country. For example, a number of Canadians went across the border to the US (air travel allowed along) and got vaccinated down there, so they ARE vaccinated but not counted in Canada, they are NOT US but are counted down there.


Let's get back to Caroline's question, and the reason for this thread .................

mandated vaccines.



I believe, YES in capital letters, except for people with valid medical problems or religious beliefs.

I also believe that it should apply everywhere, whether that is in the workplace, care homes, or travel.

I've had an invitation for a flu jab, (appointment made!) but not a covid booster.
Having said that, I had the AstraZenica vaccination, and there's talk that those that had it may not need a booster.

The drop in percentage, as you wrote, was to be expected, Kense. If we forge ahead vaccinating over-12s we may lead the pack again! :-D

The numbers will rise as we begin to get booster jabs this autumn,

I wonder whether, to save time, docs will give the booster for covid and the booster for flu at the same time. I and not certain that I would rather have a couple of weeks between the two.

The percentage is simply worked out from the number of doses issued (whether first or second) and the population eligible for vaccination. The population figures may be out of date and depend on the age range. The UK's percentage dropped recently when the vaccination age was reduced.

Quick-draw Magraw! :-D :-D :-D

No, you’re ok. It is just that I quickly had second thoughts and deleted it - but you were quicker than me.

I think I said something along the lines of the Spanish workers and the undocumented being jabbed but not listed as residents and that there was only the one way to show any data.

However, I agree with you names, I can't understand why care workers won't have the jab unless they have medical conditions which would react too badly.

And I also agree that they must have seen some horrific things over the last eighteen months or so.

The last I heard from my niece who did her first year uni via online, was that she was still going to stick to online. I have heard that some will have no choice though.

She will have no choice next year because she has to spend a year in Europe as part of her course.

Have I just answered on the wrong thread, names?

In numerical terms, yes, names.

The percentage of population may or may not reflect the numbers given, names, but the stats were on percentages of the populations who had received their jabs.

Hence the reason for my thinking 116.3% of the population vaccinated ought to have been 100% of the population and 16.3% others, as you say, probably itinerant workers.

Unless, of course, someone made the error of lumping together, say, 80% fully jabbed and 36.3% first jabbed.

At times there are walk in centres, there have been busses turning up where there are unregistered people and here buses tour some of the villages.

I can’t understand why care workers won’t have the jab. They have seen such awful things but learnt nothing.

I know a young man who went straight off to one of the mass drop ins as soon as it was announced he could. He did it because he wanted to be as safe as possible whilst at Uni. Sensible boy.

We allowed walk in as well and people that normally wouldn't qualify for free medical help to ensure as many as possible get the jab. They're now driving converted buses around to catch people at their apartment buildings or workplaces etc.

We were given ours by our doc, Pat, but I know our Dtr booked an appointment online at one of those huge centres - about 10/15 minutes' drive away. Same with her second jab too.

That centre was near her OH's workplace but he waited until he was phoned (a couple of days after Dtr booked hers) and went to a smaller centre about ten minutes' walk away.

If they're keeping abreast of the news, they will know that vaccinations have begun of our 16+ year-olds and 14+ expected here soon. This will mean that our younger Gndson will get his shortly after he gets back. (Older grandson has already had his.)

These are special walk in centres for non-registered people.

We had to get appts. to go to large centres. This was under the local NHS, as registered residents we are entitled to use it as the locals do.

I'm not sure whether we still have walk-in centres, Pat, but we have had them.

I remember Gndtr going into a walk-in about six weeks ago and the queue was so long and she had just finished work that she decided to go home and phone in for an appointment instead. She got her jab a few days later.

Apparently, we are told that they are going to start giving booster shots here soon - as with the initial vaccinations, oldest and most ill first.