My parents sent out the "have you gotten your booster yet?" text ahead of Christmas. The responses: Me: Yes Older Brother: Appointment next week Younger Brother: That's a thing? My younger brother makes total indifference to current events into an art. My parents told him to get off his ass and get it, and he agreed, it just never occurred to him to get it before they brought it up. I assume my parents are making it a hard requirement because my uncle has respiratory illness. He had to miss a recent family wedding because it took place at elevation, and it would suck if Christmas wasn't hospitable either.
Can you get a booster on such short notice? The ladies in our office made their appointment today and it's late February before they can get in. Same with my mother when she tried yesterday.
Yeah, my sister gets her booster on Saturday, I get mine on Monday, and the 2 mothers and BIL have already had theirs. It seems that our circle of friends/family are really up on that kind of stuff, and group texts/emails are flying fast and furious when people get updates to who's allowed, where they are, unexpected inventory at a drug store, etc. I'm really happy with how everyone is working together to get everyone looked after.
My mom tried to get registered as soon as she could because she has surgery in March. I think her date is February 7th. One of the owners here came in and told the admin staff she had difficulty getting an appointment; admin tried herself and wound up with a late February date. EDIT: The funniest part was her telling this to my father (they have been divorced for +20 years). He hears her story and then immediately asks, without irony, "Did you book my shot while you were at it?"
My BIL went to a Shoppers Drug Mart 6 days before he was eligible, saw that they had inventory, and asked if he could get it done. The counter helper said, "no, you have to wait for 6 days until you're eligible", he said "really?", the main pharmacists overheard and said, "no, that's fine... go ahead and give it to him." Went in for toothpaste, came out with a booster. The reason the pharmacist said yes was that he was medically eligible and it was just the government policy to try and smooth out the access that was at issue... and they had more shots than appointments, so there was no concern there.
I just tried to book on the Health Canada website. After going through all the questions, it's saying I'm not eligible. I'll have to wait until I've passed six months in January and try to book then.
Rite Aid said they took walk-ins from 2-3 each day, so I went on a Monday at 2. I was told that the walk-ins thing wasn't really the case and I needed an appointment. They gave me one for that Wednesday. So minor delay, but still pretty quick.
With the London health sign-up, you can still book the appointment, but you have to ensure that the appointment you book is for when you're eligible.
You can't do that through Lambton Health (so far as I can tell, the word "Covid" isn't even mentioned on the webstite). I just booked through Shoppers and it's mid-February.
All in all it seems (based on my very limited circle) that the issue is more around waiting to be eligible, not supply. I think that even though we had a bit of a rough start, understandably so, that it's mostly sorted out now and the supply chain is working effectively. They're also opening up some of the additional injections sites starting next week to deal with the expected onslaught of people and kids getting their boosters.
I've had nothing but bad experiences with Shoppers web site... their booking stuff was shit. And yeah, the future booking feature was only added to the London site last week... work in progress. Don't know if Lambton is going to bother with adding that feature.
Knowing Lambton Health, I'm impressed that they have an actual site and it's not still carrier pigeons and paper cups with waxed string.
At a certain point all this discussion makes me wonder if me and everyone I know are idiots. My social circle is I'd guess 90% two shots in at least. None of them thinks this is a hoax or that the vaccine doesn't work. Everyone wears masks when required without complaint, but we still gather and hang out. Everyone has cut the going out about town down, but it's not like we're all completely isolating.
That’s about what my life is right now too. But everyone I know except for a few family members are fully vaccinated.
While I’m not surprised you and your social circle are being responsible adults, I am surprised that living in South Carolina hasn’t exposed you to daily Covid idiocy, unless your living in/near a major city. I work with 5 people who are on the bleeding edge of giving up great stable jobs that come with full retirement and benefits, all because they also belong to the “muh freedums” crowd. I used to be able to have reasonable discussions with these people but I’ve had to limit our interactions to strictly work related after trying to have grown up discussions about the vaccine, there is no evidence that will convince them to get it. I countered two or three arguments with solid actual facts and they all just revert to “fetal cells were used, I’m against abortion”. The further rural you go in NC/SC the worse it gets, I have in-laws that go to churches who actively preach against vaccines and democrats, the whole thing is just a grift that educated people use to pick the pockets of scared stupid white people.
Is someone saying you should be completely isolating? I gather with vaccinated individuals. I'm willing to go to a restaurant or a brewery as long as there's outdoor seating (i.e. no public indoor places without a mask) and reasonable distance between tables. I've gone to friends' houses as long as I know they're vaccinated and don't have reason to believe they're needlessly reckless. This seems like normal, responsible behavior to me.
I envy you so much. My eldest is getting his first dose of pfizer tomorrow. I'm eligible for my booster on xmas eve, and will be getting it asap after xmas.