Flu Jab

The past two days I've been trying to suss out where all of us can get our flu shots. Should be simple and easy, right?No. Nothing is uncomplicated in this country! Here's where I am so far. Boots (Pharmacy) advertises a "Free Flu Jab" and then in small print says, "For those that qualify" which is pretty much the elderly and some with serious medical conditions. Apparently you have to book an appointment, pay £12.99 and then come back then to get it. And they don't do kids' shots, just adults. They suggested I check with Rowlands Pharmacy because it is smaller and might do kids' shots. Rowlands only does shots for adults on Thursdays by appointment because that is the day the one pharmacist there that can do the shots is working. They don't do kids because they have just started doing flu shots there recently and have to do 30 before you can do kids' shots. Apparently kids get them free from their GP and we should go there. I'm sure you can guess how this is going to transpire. The GP receptionist made a big deal about how we are "private patients" and she didn't know how that would work and would need to check with the nurse. She came back and told me that they couldn't do them for the kids because we are "private patients" (ugh, so just charge us like a £12.99 fee per kid or something!) and would need to go to this one place that does travel shots for foreigners. Just go google it. 

I called the Longfleet Surgery House that they suggested that does travel vaccinations and waited on hold for a long time. They told me that they couldn't do it and that we needed to go to the place closest to us (the one that just turned us away) and that no child should be refused a flu jab (pretty much arguing with the fact that they turned me away before). And that I may have to register here before any vaccinations could be done for my kids. We are just talking about a flu shot here. I am throughly frustrated at this point. In the US this would have been taken care of in all of 15min. at Safeway or Walgreens after we picked up a few things there that we needed. We still live here and my kid goes to public school here. Do you want him to catch the flu and spread it around at school? Shouldn't they be making this as simple as possible to encourage everyone to get it? No, instead we need to trek all over town, make several phone calls and jump through all sorts of hoops.

Anyways, I called Carlisle House and once again they said they couldn't do it and to try this other place, The Adams Practice. I told myself before making this call that this would be my last effort and if they didn't do it, we'd just wait until we got back to the U.S. I am persistent but enough is enough! But luckily after inquiring, they told me that they could do this "private flu jab appointment" for the kids and I next Tuesday. Hallelujah! :)

Hailey and I were bumming around High Street after dropping off Ethan and going to the post office. We ran into this lady, Jasmine and her two kids, that went to two of the moms groups we used to attend. Anyways, we were chatting and she asked for my number and said we should hang out. So we are meeting up tomorrow morning at this nearby church cafe that has a kids play area. Nice!