55+

[Lehaut]

Dragging the empties to the bottle bank on Monday morning, called into the Pharmacy on the off chance they had heard of the new 55 and older directive for Vaccinations. They had, and were expecting the first delivery on Wednesday evening. A dog eared book was produced and Mr and Mrs Lehaut were entered as their first patients for Thursday morning.

Yipee!

[mint]

You youngsters are always soooo impatient....[:)]

[Lori]

Yes, we have both managed to get our first doses.  So, there is hope.

Only sore arms so far.  Moderna.

[idun]

En fin......... things are on the move.

Interesting, in the UK there has been 50,000 volunteers to help with vaccinations. So they, along with the health professionals, made that difference.

The french are very good at volunteering, so how come they didn't do this too? It is beyond me, or are the professionals so ruddy snooty that they  did not want volunteers doing 'their' jobs???

[Lori]

Don't know for sure Idun.  It was all very organized where we went.  I did not ask if the people we encountered were volunteers.  There were Gendarmes controlling the entry to the parking lot of the building (this included pedestrians, like us in addition to those arriving in vehicles).

Then, there was another man at the entry door to the building who was confirming your name with his appointment list.  Hand sanitizer required for entry.  From there you are pointed to the secretary who again confirms your name/no. portable, birth date to what she has on file.  She asks for your carte vitale and your Titre de Sejour.  Once all confirmed (about 1 minute), she give you a piece of paper, returns your cards and points you to an aisle to wait. 

I go there and stand for about 1 minute, then a young woman sanitizes the chair in front of her cubicle desk and calls me over.  I sit down, she takes the form I was given and begins to ask me the questions on the form.  She writes down my answers.  The one about 'are you or could you be pregnant' gave us both a good laugh.  As she said, its on the form I am obliged to ask you.

Form completed, questions about what medications I take, then told to move to the right where another seat is being sanitized for me.  This is where the nurse and doctor person are.  Doctor asks to see my prescription, asks about my health and any allergies.  Nurse prepares dose and asks if I am right handed or left handed..  droitier I am, so in the left arm goes the dose.  Felt nothing.  Told nurse, who seemed pleased.

Was given instructions about  what to do if I had any severe reactions and what most people were experiencing.  Told to wait in the final distanced chair waiting area for 15 minutes.  After which time, if feeling fine, could leave.

So, that's how it went for me.

[idun]

 Yes, and it seems more long winded than in the UK.

I cannot help but imagine that  the only reason nearly 40 million doses have been given in total, is because people volunteered, otherwise we would have been in the same boat of what 15 millions being given?

[mint]

Id, we have had lots of bénévoles; the delay was firstly due to the extra kerfuffle about signed consent, ONLY starting in the EHPADS where, not to put too fine a point on it, the inhabitants are not all best placed to answer questions and sign stuff and predominantly there were not enough vaccine doses.

In the Dordogne, for over 2 months, we only had 5 centres and getting a RV was next to impossible.  Gradually during March, they doubled the centres to 10 and things started moving.  Then, the MTs, nurses and others got involved giving the AZ and we are now getting a good rhythm going.

The centre I went to (and will go again tomorrow) is mainly staffed by bénévoles, including a doctor who's volunteering from his retirement.  Wonderful, patient people, full of smiles and good humour and even an English speaker helping all the anglophones fill in their questionaires.

Yes, mistakes were undoubtedly made but they seem to be doing everything they can now to straighten out the situation and reach the government's targets.

[Judith-aka-Judith]

Well whatever they say they are doing, it's not happening down here ...just checked my usual list of centres (the ones we can sensibly drive to) and once again no appointments, not even for 2nd doses at the mo!  So last weeks few doses got snapped up even more quickly than usual .. .

[idun]

 Hopefully it will all get sorted.

The system has not been perfect here, but, basically, it has worked very very  well from the start.

Judith, sorry that you are still having problems.

I really need the french to get onto this, because my son wants vaccinating so he can come and see us, but he is not 40 yet.

I am glad that there are volunteers in France, but are there enough?

[mint]

Judith, I too am really sorry you still haven't managed to get a jab for your OH.

I thought you said he only wanted to go to the doctor's?  Well then, doctors, pharmaciens are less pressured than the centres.

Please do keep trying the centres.  That's what I did and, un bon jour, I found 2 slots (found them on the same day but for different days for OH and me) and grabbed them pdq.  Don't give up, there are slots suddenly vacant, cancellations, other illnesses, got other jabs elsewhere and couldn't be bothered to cancel, whatever.

I know I am not in your area and it's only going to be anecdotal but all the people I know have had at least their first jabs.  I also know some who don't want them, of course, but people who do want them are getting them.  Don't give up!

[mint]

Judith, I have just found this article in the sudouest which might cheer you up a bit regarding vaccination for your OH:

[url]https://www.sudouest.fr/sante/vaccins-anti-covid-en-france-sept-millions-de-doses-en-plus-des-ce-mois-d-avril-2153616.php[/url]

[Judith-aka-Judith]

Thanks Mint, they've been saying that all the time .. this is not for me, I get my second on Friday, just had the text confirmation .. he won't go to any of the large centres, and is still sure they will contact him .. I put him onto the pharmacy list, he was not grateful!  Que sera ...