How are things where YOU are? (in relation to the Corona Virus)

[possum52]

18 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We get the flu shot every year at our medical centre. The last two years we have had to wait more than an hour past the scheduled appointment time. When I phoned to make an appointment for this year's shots, I nicely said that we didn't want to want an hour and a half in a waiting room full of people when we are self-isolating at home the rest of the time. The receptionist then said they give everyone the same time - the time the flu vax clinic starts!!! No. We are not going down that road! They declined to let us wait in our car, then they phone us when it is our turn.

 

Anyway, we have our names on the waiting list when they get more supplies of vaccine and will then discuss with the receptionist our options without waiting in a room full of people, some of them sick.

I had my flu shot on Monday morning. Our clinic had set up a separate area in the staff carpark at the back of the building which meant parking in a side street and walking up a laneway. There were chairs spaced around the area to keep social distancing. When I made the appointment I was told that it was just for the flu shot and I wouldn't be able to speak to the doctor about anything else. When I arrived the nurse greeted me, checked my name off, asked my age and took my temperature. The doctor then spoke to me briefly, gave me the shot, I was aked to sit for five minutes and I could go. If the weather turned they had a plan to go into the back of the clinic. All in all a very easy process.

 

Leigh

 

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

I went to the shops last night (8.pm)for milk, bread, and any vegies or meat we cold get. I managed to get some snags and chicken skewers the meat guy was just bringing them out (that was all he had to bring out), got some pumpkin and the last bag of potatoes. I suppose shopping late is not so great, the shop was busy with packers but it seems certain items they simply had no stock to put out.

Was that a corner store or a big supermarket?

[MMDown Under]

41 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

We get the flu shot every year at our medical centre. The last two years we have had to wait more than an hour past the scheduled appointment time. When I phoned to make an appointment for this year's shots, I nicely said that we didn't want to want an hour and a half in a waiting room full of people when we are self-isolating at home the rest of the time. The receptionist then said they give everyone the same time - the time the flu vax clinic starts!!! No. We are not going down that road! They declined to let us wait in our car, then they phone us when it is our turn.

 

Anyway, we have our names on the waiting list when they get more supplies of vaccine and will then discuss with the receptionist our options without waiting in a room full of people, some of them sick.

Can you attend another medical centre?.  What is the good of self isolating, then waiting in a crowded waiting room.  When my daughter found a place, which had the vaccine, she said she walked straight in.  

[MMDown Under]

7 minutes ago, possum52 said:

I had my flu shot on Monday morning. Our clinic had set up a separate area in the staff carpark at the back of the building which meant parking in a side street and walking up a laneway. There were chairs spaced around the area to keep social distancing. When I made the appointment I was told that it was just for the flu shot and I wouldn't be able to speak to the doctor about anything else. When I arrived the nurse greeted me, checked my name off, asked my age and took my temperature. The doctor then spoke to me briefly, gave me the shot, I was aked to sit for five minutes and I could go. If the weather turned they had a plan to go into the back of the clinic. All in all a very easy process.

 

Leigh

 

Sounds like a thoughtful clinic. I've never had a flu needle, but thought I should have a pneumonia needle. 

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, MMDown Under said:

Can you attend another medical centre?.  What is the good of self isolating, then waiting in a crowded waiting room.  When my daughter found a place, which had the vaccine, she said she walked straight in.  

We have talked about going elsewhere. I think if our usual medical centre won't let us keep reasonably isolated from other patients waiting, I will tell them that we will go to another medical centre to have the shot.

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, MMDown Under said:

Sounds like a thoughtful clinic. I've never had a flu needle, but thought I should have a pneumonia needle. 

We have been having the flu shot every year since 1988. We have also had the pneumonia immunisation. This is advised for people over 65.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

We have talked about going elsewhere. I think if our usual medical centre won't let us keep reasonably isolated from other patients waiting, I will tell them that we will go to another medical centre to have the shot.

It is not worth getting ill from waiting patients just to get a flu shot.  My blood pressure would be through the roof worrying.  Do chemists do them now?  Maybe they would be more obliging. 

[possum52]

1 minute ago, MMDown Under said:

Sounds like a thoughtful clinic. I've never had a flu needle, but thought I should have a pneumonia needle. 

The health authorities here in Victoria are urging particularly those in the at risk categories to have the flu shot because they are worried that if people don't have it, there is always the possibility of having both Covid 19 and the flu at the same time which would be a disaster and they also certainly don't want very ill people with the flu taking up critical hospital beds when they could be needed for those Covid 19.

 

Leigh

[Aus Traveller]

7 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

It is not worth getting ill from waiting patients just to get a flu shot.  My blood pressure would be through the roof worrying.  Do chemists do them now?  Maybe they would be more obliging. 

I heard on TV that the super-vaccine is only available from a GP so that is where we will go.

 

Yes, I know, "heard it on TV!"  Sometimes they are right and sometimes they are wrong. The comment was made in a segment advising people to have the flu shot to avoid the possibility of having both the flu and COVID at the same time.

[Russell21]

15 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Sounds like a thoughtful clinic. I've never had a flu needle, but thought I should have a pneumonia needle. 

You should have the Flu needle, and the Pneumonia needle is 2 shots spaced quite some time apart.

[Aus Traveller]

The following is an email from one of my sons who researches everything in detail. Some of you might find the comments interesting even if you don't bother clicking the link.

 

High air pollution damage correlates to higher death rate with COVID-19, while asthma has less of a correlation ( so lung surface health is the issue not bronchial issues):  

https://science.slashdot.org/story/20/04/07/146240/new-research-links-air-pollution-to-higher-coronavirus-death-rates

 

There is a whole lot less seismic activity now people are locked down:

https://news.slashdot.org/story/20/04/05/1757204/earths-crust-is-shaking-less-after-coronavirus-lockdowns

 

Crazies are suggesting 5G is responsible for Corona virus... 

https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/20/04/03/1936221/broadband-engineers-threatened-due-to-5g-coronavirus-conspiracies

 

The crazies have been going on about 5G for a while, they worry about its "high energy" wavelengths which get up to the low end of the infrared spectrum, so they better not have TV remotes in the house or have used incandescent bulbs which emit the majority of their energy in the infrared range. 

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

Opening time seem better. We can make a 'dawn raid' in the golden hour for oldies.

I don't qualify.

 

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

Was that a corner store or a big supermarket?

Woolworths at the Erindale Shopping centre, it is not a huge centre but it is a big woolies 

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I heard on TV that the super-vaccine is only available from a GP so that is where we will go.

 

Yes, I know, "heard it on TV!"  Sometimes they are right and sometimes they are wrong. The comment was made in a segment advising people to have the flu shot to avoid the possibility of having both the flu and COVID at the same time.

Yes, the stronger version of the flu shot is only available from GPs, at least here in NSW. It may not even be available yet, my GP said later this month. They will phone us when it comes in. My GP actually does not recommend people over 65 having the weaker version, and told us to wait for the stronger one. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, Russell21 said:

You should have the Flu needle, and the Pneumonia needle is 2 shots spaced quite some time apart.

How far apart? We've both had pneumonia shots and our GP didn't mention anything about a second shot being required.

[Docker123]

 

The super strength is formulated with something else to help the uptake for we more mature folk. The ordinary is for common youngsters and does not work as well for us.

 

I had the pneumonia shot last year at the same time as flu, just in the other arm. Dr said it is a 5 year shot.

 

Oh, it hurt more.

 

[lyndarra]

50 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, the stronger version of the flu shot is only available from GPs, at least here in NSW. It may not even be available yet, my GP said later this month. They will phone us when it comes in. My GP actually does not recommend people over 65 having the weaker version, and told us to wait for the stronger one. 

I got the same response when I asked my GP last week. Got a call on Monday to say it was in. Had my jab yesterday.

[OzKiwiJJ]

47 minutes ago, Docker123 said:

 

The super strength is formulated with something else to help the uptake for we more mature folk. The ordinary is for common youngsters and does not work as well for us.

 

I had the pneumonia shot last year at the same time as flu, just in the other arm. Dr said it is a 5 year shot.

 

Oh, it hurt more.

 

That's useful to know. DH got the pneumonia shot, and the shingles shot at the same time as his flu shot last year. Ouch! Talk about sore arms! I was lucky to get a pneumonia shot a couple of years ago even though I didn't qualify for it free on age, but I'd been having a few too many bouts of bronchitis so somehow my GP managed to wangle me the pneumonia shot without cost.

[NSWP]

Sounds like there has been a run on flu vaccine like the TP and long life milk.  Rang my Doctors surgery today, put on list, they said it will be up to a month, no more stock and hundreds on the list.  Now Batemans Bay is a town of 18,000 people, 50% retirees, hence the waiting times.

[Russell21]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

How far apart? We've both had pneumonia shots and our GP didn't mention anything about a second shot being required.

Measured in years if memory serves me correctly.

[Russell21]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, the stronger version of the flu shot is only available from GPs, at least here in NSW. It may not even be available yet, my GP said later this month. They will phone us when it comes in. My GP actually does not recommend people over 65 having the weaker version, and told us to wait for the stronger one. 

The first batch is out, and the second batch won't be issued until allG P's have received their first batch. I was lucky to be at the Doc while they still had some, and the Sister administering the needle asked whether I was over or under 65. Easy mistake to make with me as I don't look  3 months off 76.                😉

[possum52]

14 minutes ago, Russell21 said:

The first batch is out, and the second batch won't be issued until allG P's have received their first batch. I was lucky to be at the Doc while they still had some, and the Sister administering the needle asked whether I was over or under 65. Easy mistake to make with me as I don't look  3 months off 76.                😉

I think it depends as my husband had his and was told it was the last one they had, another batch was due in the following week which is what I had. 
 

Leigh

[Aus Traveller]

44 minutes ago, Russell21 said:

Measured in years if memory serves me correctly.

I thought it was five years.

[possum52]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

I thought it was five years.

Yes it is five years between each shot.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Russell21 said:

Measured in years if memory serves me correctly.

Oh well, I guess he'll remind us when we are due for another one.