GVA Salut - Book a Covid booster?

Hi Sheila,

Friends of mine in their 70s had their flu jabs and Covid booster at the same appointment last week (Rojales health centre).  If you book an appointment for your flu jabs, perhaps you'll get your Covid booster also?  Even if you don't, you'll be able to ask for a further appointment while you're there.  Just a thought.

Kind regards, 

Kim

Hello

Exactly as Kim suggests. I went to La Mata Salud last week to make an appt. for the flu vaccine  and, as  6 months had passed sine my last Covid vaccination I was offered the  Covid booster too....apppts made for both  at same time this week.

 I did have to wait 35mins to get to the reception desk but  felt it was important enough to wait.

Cheers

Elinspain

Thanks Kim. However, the Orihuela Costa heath centre is probably not as efficient as Rojales. Also, I don’t want a flu jab! I know of two couples who have given up waiting in the queue, it is taking so long.

Thanks. 35 mins is ok, but my friend waited 1hr 10 mins in Cabo Roig.

My husband is exactly the same, does not want the flu jab, but due to health issues can't stand for long periods to get his booster, seems no thought is given to those who may find it difficult/impossible to stand in a slow moving queue at Cabo Roig Medical Centre, it's a shambles of a place, badly run and staffed with surly unhelpful staff.

I don't understand why we cant book a booster jab online, it's not like Spain does not have the vaccine Madrid threw away in excess of 100,000 doses because they went out of date ( source El Pais) and sent 326,000 doses to Africa ( source El Pais)

Exactly my point, El. I want to get by booster first to see if my husband would be able to manage any waiting at the centre. He has severe COPD and does not leave the house, so wearing a mask is dreadful for him. There is so little compassion or empathy at that medical centre, and we now avoid going to the doctors if we can. 

Hi Sheila,

We'd never had flu jabs before, but last year Pedro Sanchez asked citizens to obtain a flu jab to ensure hospitals caring for Covid patients wouldn't be further burdened by flu patients with similar symptoms.  It made sense to me and I wonder whether doing the jabs together is a way of making sure people have both?  Sorry to hear that your health centre staff aren't very helpful - one of our receptionists could best be described as "difficult", but thankfully the other one is lovely.  As much as you don't want a flu jab, it sounds as if getting one may be the only way you can get a booster appointment for your husband 🤔

Kind regards, 

Kim

You could book a telephone appointment with your doctor on gva.es. Then you could ask about the vaccine and explain about not being able to wait in line for a long time. Unless, of course, you have the doctor that I had there until I changed, in which case you might not get any help.

Thanks Myra, that is an idea. I don’t like to waste a valuable appointment for a simple question. There are so many people who need to see a doctor and are waiting. My doctor is pleasant enough, but speaks little English. The problem is that she does not tell you if she doesn’t understand. I can read Spanish well, but am unable to understand what she says, even more so now because of the mask. We have never had flu jabs, and I am really not keen to start now.