# Flu jab in a time of Coronavirus



## odyssey06 (31 Oct 2020)

Just had the jab in my GP clinic this morning. What an operation.
All staff in full PPE.
Enter, sanitise hands, stand on designated spot.
Take out own pen. Sign form. Take form with you.
Stand on next designated spot.
Doctor calls you in. Hand form to doctor.
Take off jacket. Advised to wear short sleeve shirt so no need to roll up.
Jab done. 
As I've already had the jab no need to wait around.
Exit via back door.

Hopefully this year the jab is a good match for the strains in circulation.

Unfortunately my OH had her appointment cancelled (or hopefully only postponed) by Boots due to shortage of vaccines 
An expected delivery from the HSE did not come in to pharmacies.

If anyone knows of pharmacies still offering appointments in Dublin Bay North area please let me know.


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## michaelg (1 Nov 2020)

One would imagine they'll be a lot less flu goin round this year due to all the masks and distancing.


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## odyssey06 (2 Nov 2020)

michaelg said:


> One would imagine they'll be a lot less flu goin round this year due to all the masks and distancing.



Hopefully, there did seem to the usual back to school sniffles though going around, which surprised me at the time.


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## odyssey06 (11 Nov 2020)

This is concerning...

_The HSE has suspended distribution of the flu vaccine to GPs and pharmacies after it emerged that claims for 600,000 doses are missing.
In a letter sent to doctors and pharmacists on Monday, the HSE said that approximately 1.3 million vaccines have been distributed to date, but only 700,000 of those have been recorded as administered vaccines on the claims system used by healthcare professionals to reimburse costs. As a result, it is not clear whether or not the remaining 600,000 vaccines have been administered._ 









						HSE won’t release any new flu vaccine jabs as 600,000 ‘go missing’
					

The HSE has suspended distribution of the flu vaccine to GPs and pharmacies after it emerged that claims for 600,000 doses are missing.




					www.independent.ie


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## Purple (11 Nov 2020)

odyssey06 said:


> This is concerning...
> 
> _The HSE has suspended distribution of the flu vaccine to GPs and pharmacies after it emerged that claims for 600,000 doses are missing.
> In a letter sent to doctors and pharmacists on Monday, the HSE said that approximately 1.3 million vaccines have been distributed to date, but only 700,000 of those have been recorded as administered vaccines on the claims system used by healthcare professionals to reimburse costs. As a result, it is not clear whether or not the remaining 600,000 vaccines have been administered._
> ...


I wonder what an audit of all vaccines over the last 10 years would turn up?
I'm getting to the stage where I think it would be better if GP's were direct State employees rather that pseudo-private businesses who are almost totally unaccountable to either the HSE or Revenue. They make returns to both while being able to avoid scrutiny on the basis of doctor patient confidentiality. Much like hospital doctors they should be on a contract which stipulates the minimum number f patient facing hours they work and what they get paid. There is simply too much scope to fiddle the system and not to the hours.


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## odyssey06 (11 Nov 2020)

Purple said:


> I wonder what an audit of all vaccines over the last 10 years would turn up?
> I'm getting to the stage where I think it would be better if GP's were direct State employees rather that pseudo-private businesses who are almost totally unaccountable to either the HSE or Revenue. They make returns to both while being able to avoid scrutiny on the basis of doctor patient confidentiality. Much like hospital doctors they should be on a contract which stipulates the minimum number f patient facing hours they work and what they get paid. There is simply too much scope to fiddle the system and not to the hours.



I'm not saying you are wrong re: state employing no GPs but in this particular instance the GP interviewed in the article said they register the claims promptly on a realtime IT system. They don't delay as the HSE can be very slow to re-imburse the GPs for their claim costs. They were very sceptical of the idea that GPs would have failed to register so many vaccines when money is on the line for them to do so promptly.


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## Purple (11 Nov 2020)

GP's are as likely to be well organised or disorganised as any other similar business. My point is that there is really very little oversight on what they claim from the HSE.


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