How to book 2 jabs at once?

How to book 2 jabs at once?

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red_slr

Original Poster:

18,004 posts

194 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
quotequote all
I am trying (and have been for a couple of weeks) to get my jab booked in.

I need to book myself and Mrs SLR in at the same time as we currently only have one car and our nearest jab place is about 5 miles away. In addition we both work 7am till about 6pm so ideally it needs to be on a weekend.

I have been trying to get 2 appointments. I have rang 119 twice and both times they have said to use the website.

I dont have any confidence you can even do this - has anyone done it?

At the moment the way we are trying to book is we are going on at the same time an trying to book the same slot. I guess this is the problem. I tried explaining that to 119 today but the lady on the other end spoke very broken English and just said its because we need to book 2 slots each as need to book 1st and 2nd the same time.

Surely someone has to have thought of this being an issue? Or are you literally expected to make 4 trips?

red_slr

Original Poster:

18,004 posts

194 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
quotequote all
Thats what I am using and its not allowing 2 bookings for even slightly the same time i.e 8am on Saturday and then another at 9pm on Saturday. IYSWIM

Easternlight

3,476 posts

149 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
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When I had my first one they booked the second there and then .
It's tomorrow.

red_slr

Original Poster:

18,004 posts

194 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
quotequote all
Sorry, maybe not explained very well. I need to book 4 appointments for 2 people. 2 jabs each. But we need to go at the same time - or similar times i.e within an hour say.

Bill

53,887 posts

260 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
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Have you tried looking slightly further ahead?

red_slr

Original Poster:

18,004 posts

194 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
quotequote all
Yes I have tried all combinations I can think of, its not the dates that are a problem its getting 2 of us there at the same (similar) time and same day.

The system seems to generate times at random - but never ones close enough together to actually allow a booking for 2.

I have not even got to the page for the date for the second jab yet- which I am sure will be the same issue.

I assumed that by ringing 119 they would be able to manually do a booking but apparently not.

Thing is there is no way I am alone in this? I know loads of people who have gone as a couple but no one seems to be able to tell me exactly how they managed to book this!?

Zarco

18,369 posts

214 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
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Can she not just drive herself on another day?

Bill

53,887 posts

260 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
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I assume this is a big centre. Have you tried booking via your GP surgery?

JeffreyD

6,155 posts

45 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
quotequote all
If you book for the same day I'd be pretty sure they will do you together.

I rocked up really early as I was near the centre and I just went straight through.

red_slr

Original Poster:

18,004 posts

194 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
quotequote all
Zarco said:
Can she not just drive herself on another day?
We work together, we are really busy all day and really we both have to be there. So no.
I just spoke to someone who had theirs together and they booked via 119 so I will ring them back tomorrow and hopefully get somewhere with them.

Yes re the size I think probably part of the issue as most places dont have parking but this one (a big football stadium) does have parking so probably part of the issue I dunno.

silentbrown

9,205 posts

121 months

Thursday 27th May 2021
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Just make two bookings one after the other, and I'd expect you'd get identical (or very similar) timeslots.

However, I'd recommend you NOT book them on the same day in case you both get bad flu-like side-effects at the same time. It's unlikely but possible.

Book them a few days apart!



red_slr

Original Poster:

18,004 posts

194 months

Friday 28th May 2021
quotequote all
Sorted! 3rd go at 119 and spoke to someone who actually knows how the system works.

For anyone interested or if it helps you there are 3 steps.

The site wont show you the 3rd step if there is only 1 slot on that day showing inside the data base as available and two people try to book that one slot it just bins you out.

Step 1 - date and am or pm
Step 2 - 1 hour time slot (this is as far as we were getting)
Step 3 - 5-10 min arrival slot

So, if you are trying to book 2 slots at once then the 1 hour slot has to have 2 different 5-10 min slots free. But it does not show this until you press to go onto the next step. So you literally have to try different dates till you get one that has several slots.

It would be better if the system showed it all one one page i.e

Step 1 - Date am or pm
Step 2 - 1 hour slot and then all the 5-10 min arrivals

But alas thats not how it works.

So we booked the same date, 1 hour slot then 2 back to back 5-10 min arrival slots. Twice. If that makes sense.

Paul Dishman

4,793 posts

242 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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When I booked our jabs back in February the system would only allow me to book our second jabs at 10.50 am and 2pm on the 16th. However we asked nicely and the staff at the vaccination centre said we could go through together.

Riley Blue

21,459 posts

231 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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Paul Dishman said:
When I booked our jabs back in February the system would only allow me to book our second jabs at 10.50 am and 2pm on the 16th. However we asked nicely and the staff at the vaccination centre said we could go through together.
At the GP vaccination centre I've been volunteering at your second jabs would have been at the same time as your first so couples were always together. It seems daft to do it any other way.

Paul Dishman

4,793 posts

242 months

Sunday 30th May 2021
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Riley Blue said:
At the GP vaccination centre I've been volunteering at your second jabs would have been at the same time as your first so couples were always together. It seems daft to do it any other way.
We went to a local pharmacy for the first jab and the NHS mass vaccination centre for the second. I'm far too impatient to wait for the GPs to get their arses in gear.

JeffreyD

6,155 posts

45 months

Sunday 30th May 2021
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Rather than start a new topic I thought I'd ask in here.

I've got my 2nd Jan booked for Thursday but my daughter has just tested positive so we've all got to isolate for 10 days.

How do I go about changing the date for my jab?

Paul Dishman

4,793 posts

242 months

Sunday 30th May 2021
quotequote all
JeffreyD said:
Rather than start a new topic I thought I'd ask in here.

I've got my 2nd Jan booked for Thursday but my daughter has just tested positive so we've all got to isolate for 10 days.

How do I go about changing the date for my jab?
Via the NHS Covid booking website, or dial 119. Or contact your GP surgery. Depends where you booked it