Tired of waiting to be offered it, Tod went in to see our GP about two weeks ago to say we wanted to be vaccinated - unlike most of the French, seemingly.
He returned with a small, scrappy bit of paper with two dates on it - Friday 26th March and Friday 30th April and reported a partly understood conversation (our GP has a strong accent).
In recent weeks French doctors have been given permission to vaccinate using the Astra Zeneca vaccine. They are being supplied with ten vaccines a week. TEN! So on that first Friday the intention is that we will have our first jabs, provided .... Provided that is, someone "more worthy" doesn't want to have it, in which case we will be bumped.
The "worthiness" for being vaccinated ahead of us depends on whether they have comorbidities - a word we never expected to have to learn and, said in French with a strong accent, caused Tod some confusion.
At the moment we fall between two stools. We are not actually entitled to be vaccinated because of our age and our lack of other illnesses. We are not over 75 nor under 60 (or maybe it's 65, who knows these days?). Over 75, you get Pfizer. Under 60 (or 65) you get Astra Zeneca. So our GP's doing us a favour.
There is an excellent system these days called Doctolib, where you can book online for an appointment - no need to ring the surgery. Out of the blue, Tod receives an email for an appointment on June 4th. No explanation. Hence my trip into town this morning. An online system only works if there is an explanation. As we had already deduced, the second date for April on the scrappy bit of paper is wrong - it's too soon. They are now leaving ten weeks between jabs. And yes, although there is no confirmation, the dates are for the two of us.
In the meantime, we continue to be mired in uncertainty.
More and more countries are suspending using the Astra Zeneca vaccine because of concerns about blood clots, which the WHO keeps denying. But their authority has been much eroded throughout the pandemic and countries are increasingly going their own way, for medical and political reasons.
So will France follow suit and suspend vaccinations using the AZ product? If so, will GPs be offered the Pfizer vaccine? The doubt is doctors having the capability to store the Pfizer. Though a friend from Poland tells us they are managing there - the vaccine is delivered in the morning and used that day.
If France continues to use the AZ vaccine, will we be bumped from the list? Or will the already reluctant French refuse to accept it, especially in the light of the blood clot debate? So we will find we are the only ones there?
Only time will tell. And time is the one thing we have plenty of at the moment.
Such a worrying muddle, isnlt it?
ReplyDeleteI am not happy about these vaccines...any of them. If they do not give immunity, what is the purpose? They will relieve symptoms if you catch the bug, but will not prevent you from catching it or passing it on, so I read.
Leo cannot be vaccinated, in any case, as that will bring on an attack of his illness, so he is out of the picture but for myself, I am very doubtful.
Hello Fly, not an easy decision for you, so I guess your lives will continue as they are now. We feel it is one way to begin to get our lives back to some sort of normality. France has suspended the vaccine, but for the moment only until tomorrow afternoon. I wish I could feel this was anything other than low politics. As always, take care.
DeleteI do wish politicians would do what they are supposed to do...care for the people.....rather than play damn fool games for short term advantage.
DeleteThings are quite relaxed in Costa Rica...only one lockdown and short term limited vehicle use, so there is not the urgency for me as for you.
Look after yourselves...and look forward to a bit of freedom!
Glad to hear things are relaxed where you are Fly. We hear so little about other places in the world.
DeleteSorry to say that the Yes/No of vaccines does rather appear to be political rather than based on actual facts. I look forward to my second Oxford very soon but like Fly realize that it does not appear to stop one passing on the virus even if you don't get it with bad symptoms yourself. How it means that we could return to mass gatherings and holidays I just don't understand. Take Care, Lesley
ReplyDeleteHello Lesley - I think the "how?" of all of this is so true. I think our lives will go on much as they have over this last year, but having the vaccine feels like an extra bit of security in the mix of masks/hand washing / social distancing and might get us to a restaurant (which would be nice). It's the ones who think because they've had the vaccine now all is well may be in for a shock. But the numbers are heading in the right direction in the UK - long may that continue.
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