Flu Vaccination

[NormanH]

This year's vaccination has been available since yesterday, at least for those who are recommended to have by Ameli.

There was a queue in front of my Pharmacy  yesterday, which is unusual, but that might be because some people have confused  it with a vaccine against  Covid.

I don't want to get into a controversy about vaccines, but if you are intending to be vaccinated this year it might be an idea to have it  done sooner rather than later.

[Catalpa]

The pharmacy we most regularly use is taking 'bookings' from those who've had their ordonnonce / Ameli notification but is not expecting to have supplies delivered / available for another 10-12 days. I've no idea whether that's typical, though.

[Gardian]

I picked up ours at the pharmacie this morning.

Hasten to add that I wasn’t ‘panic buying’, but I was in the village this morning with time to kill, so it made sense.

In previous years, the take-up in the Gard has apparently been very low - c. 20%. I’ll bet that it won’t be that this year and that forecasting demand will have been a nightmare.

[NormanH]

You know that the Pharmacien can give the injection as well as supply the vaccine ?

[Gardian]

I didn’t know that.

However, the ‘district nurse’ visits us monthly for Mrs G’s blood test.

My impression has always been that doing flu jabs is easy (but totally legitimate) money for her - for me, better that she gets the money than the pharmacie.

They’re all insistent though that you don’t get it done until early / mid Nov. It’s all about the length of effectivity of the vaccine.

[Catalpa]

Not all pharmacists offer the service. Our pharmacist is a one person business with fairly small premises and has decided not to do it. She's very active in the community and goes the extra kilometre for her customers liaising with MTs and even hospitals if something needs sorting out so she's worth supporting. We'll get our (favourite) infirmière to do the deed with the needle.

[NormanH]

My Pharmacy and local nurse are also like that, but both are quite near retirement:((

It does give  the lie to  the 'ex-pat' myth about  'poor French service'.

That might be true or larger retail outlets, but I have always found the 'smaller' people excellent.

My scooter gives me the independence to get out and go to one of the labs in town for my blood tests, but I know that the nurse is there if necessary.

I have always been told as Gardian says that  it is better to wait until early November, but there are signs that there might  be a rush on a limited stock this year so I had mine early  fuelling the shortage...

[nomoss]

I called our cabinet d'infirmières when we received the letters about our free flu jabs a few weeks ago.

Brigitte,who answered the phone, told me that the pharmacie doesn't expect to have them available until the end of this month, and to call to make a rdv sometime about then.

[Weegie]

Picked ours up Tuesday.  Was there anyway for another prescription.  The pharmacy was busy but it usually is on a Tuesday.

Do our injections myself.

[mint]

[quote user="Gardian"]

They’re all insistent though that you don’t get it done until early / mid Nov. It’s all about the length of effectivity of the vaccine.[/quote]

Yes, my nurse says every year that she does them the second week in November, otherwise you won't be protected towards the end of the flu season.

[Hereford]

We will get our done by the pharmacy in early to mid-November.

We have used the Nurses in the past but the amount of paperwork they have to scan and or fill in as we are not regular patients of theirs must negate any very small fee they get for doing them.

The pharmacy are doing them by appointment which also has the benefit of avoiding a crowded waiting room.

[NormanH]

Two documents that may interest some of you

https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/calendrier_vaccinal_29juin20.pdf

this second one covers ALL the vaccinations recommended, not just the Flu

https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/prevention-en-sante/preserver-sa-sante/vaccination/calendrier-vaccinal

[NormanH]

One of the articles that stimulated my OP is about whether there is a possibility that there will be a shortage this year:

https://www.la-croix.com/France/Vaccin-contre-grippe-risque-penurie-2020-10-13-1201119154

[Lehaut]

Due to the "heads up" on this topic, I went up and had mine done yesterday, local pharmacy, straight away (though it was busy), very quick. I asked her if she thought there would be problems this year, she was quite sure there would be starting as early as next week. The advice in the papers was for people in risk categories to have it done earlier rather than later.

As to the length of effectiveness, I read that it takes two weeks for the immunity to develop so now seems a good time.

Today's headline:

Loire-Atlantique. La ruée sur le vaccin contre la grippe saisonnière provoque déjà une pénurie

[Judith-aka-Judith]

Was planning to go this morning, it's colder today, so with luck that will disuade the motley ..

[NormanH]

[quote user="Lehaut"]Due to the "heads up" on this topic, I went up and had mine done yesterday, local pharmacy, straight away (though it was busy), very quick. I asked her if she thought there would be problems this year, she was quite sure there would be starting as early as next week. The advice in the papers was for people in risk categories to have it done earlier rather than later.

As to the length of effectiveness, I read that it takes two weeks for the immunity to develop so now seems a good time.

Today's headline:

Loire-Atlantique. La ruée sur le vaccin contre la grippe saisonnière provoque déjà une pénurie[/quote]

That was the point of starting the thread[I]

https://www.france24.com/fr/20201013-avec-l-arriv%C3%A9e-de-la-grippe-saisonni%C3%A8re-ru%C3%A9e-sur-les-vaccins-et-craintes-de-p%C3%A9nurie

[Judith-aka-Judith]

'Tis done ... for several reasons, including not having to continue to remember to go, it was done this am.  And yes, the pharmacist implied that there might be shortages this year.  Currently arm feels just a little tender, next few days will tell.

[auxadrets]

Mr Auxadrets picked up two doses of vaccine on his way to the boulangerie this morning.

We injected each other after breakfast. It’s what we do every year and neither of us has ever had a problem. Just do it!

[pomme]

NormanH wrote the following post at Thu, Oct 15 2020 15:36:

Two documents that may interest some of you

https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/calendrier_vaccinal_29juin20.pdf

this second one covers ALL the vaccinations recommended, not just the Flu

https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/prevention-en-sante/preserver-sa-sante/vaccination/calendrier-vaccinal

------

I think this vaccination-info-service.fr chart https://tinyurl.com/yystbkrk I saw recently is a lot easier to understand at a glance.

It resulted in a diptheria/tetanus/polio/whooping cough top-up here. I'd had chicken pox when I was in my 40s so zona (shingles) vaccine was not suggested.

The newspapers are reporting pharmacies are running out of flu vaccine doses as there has been a higher take-up than even the 30% increased number the government ordered. There are unlikely to be fresh supplies produced before the end of November.

[nomoss]

Since we only leave the house a little more than once a week on average, observe social distancing rules, have yet to come across anyone indoors without a mask at the doctor's, pharmacy or supermarket, I don't think we have any more chance of catching seasonal 'flu than Covid, so we're not too bothered if they do run out of vaccine.

If they do run out it probably means that nearly everyone else we meet will be protected, so we shall be close to having herd immunity.[:D]

[NormanH]

pomme "I think this vaccination-info-service.fr chart

https://tinyurl.com/yystbkrk I saw recently is a lot easier to

understand at a glance.

It resulted in a diptheria/tetanus/polio/whooping cough top-up here.

I'd had chicken pox when I was in my 40s so zona (shingles) vaccine was

not suggested"

Yes I had that multiple one last year..

Here is a live link to the chart you recommend;

https://tinyurl.com/yystbkrk

[Catalpa]

[quote user="nomoss"]...I don't think we have any more chance of catching seasonal 'flu than Covid, so we're not too bothered if they do run out of vaccine.[/quote]

It will be interesting to see what the wearing of masks (and in my experience most people do wear them) increased handwashing along with considerably less bise-ing does to the circulation of cold and flu viruses this winter. Presumably there will be fewer cases of both - although I'm sure families with school-age children won't avoid colds even if children are less likely (allegedly) to contract / pass on CV.

e2a: thanks for the vaccination chart Pomme and Norman. Cheers.

[Kong]

OH refused vaccine this morning. Only those clutching the form from Ameli are getting it. No problems in previous years. Definitely a shortage!