Take the bus (or train) for you vaccination appointment

I got my letter on Thursday 4th February, the middle week of the announced three-week slot for cohort 4 (70-75 plus clinically extremely vulnerable), and pretty much what I expected. It said I had a choice of waiting for my GPs to phone me, and was still thinking about whether to wait or try to book on line when I got that call the next day. I was offered a slot at 5:04 on the following Monday; I was told they had reduced slots from 5 to 4 minutes because us "younger ones" were quicker and more agile!

That worked fine, other than there being a queue outside the centre in Wokingham - and it was still snowing slightly. No-one seemed too miserable, though, because the queue moved fast enough at two a minute; and of course that means any slight mismatch in the rates of joining and being admitted can make the queue grow too.

I was also rather thrown by being injected standing up, adding an extra complication to finding the bare shoulder I had wrapped in many layers before going out. Even more so it made rewrapping said shoulder while walking away tricky, and while marshals were numerous on the way in there were none to be seen on the way out. So that, poor signage of the exit, and the fact I was already thinking ahead to making a quick dash into Waitrose (next door) meant I forgot I was supposed to sit on one of their chairs for 15 minutes. Mind you, I don't recall ever having a reaction to a vaccine, and had none to this (Oxford/AstraZeneca) one.

My sister, in Reading, was expecting much the same for cohort 5, and got the same letter I did before its official start on 15th February. However, on the day before, it was announced that the remainder of cohort 6 ( 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions) was being put in the same slot and GPs were doing those as a priority. The 65-70s were expected to book on line for the major centres, and those without cars would use public transport.

I saw some comments around then that the organisers were surprised how many 70-80s preferred to wait for their surgery to call. They expected those with cars to mostly prefer to use them to go to a major centre, keeping warm and avoiding any problems with walking. My sister (and I suspect many others), having spent the last year avoiding public transport, and not having a car, was unimpressed. And I wasn't keen to take her by car (despite being a support bubble) if it meant being away from the nearest known toilet for well over an hour.

And last week there was a news item that Berkshire was lagging in its vaccination rate, with someone a bit official saying they would need more vaccines and to persuade the hesitant. No mention of the most obvious reason, which was that the Reading centre (Madejski) first announced as opening in January didn't actually start until 22nd February (bookings available from 24th). Even then it was hard to get a slot there, due to the backlog, so most offers were for the other "nearby" ones at Slough, Basingstoke, or Oxford. The pharmacy centre at Marlow was also available more than you might expect - possible because there were few takers from longer distances.

Anyway, after a couple of weeks things settled down and at the start of March it was possible to book at the Madejski for the 11th. Now, when the stadium opened its car park was used for an RBC^‡ park and ride as well. There were also specific buses to the RBH for hospital staff and patients, which I attempted to use (to avoid driving back from the eye clinic after cyclopeagia and dilation). The hospital buses didn't last long, and RBC dropped this park and ride after the Mereoak one (further out on the A33) opened in 2015. Of course it's still listed on a lot of sites as a functioning P&R^▸ .

So, can you get out to the Madejski by bus? Up to a point yes - get near to there, but not get back! Reading Buses only list match-day buses, and obviously they are not relevant for at least two reasons. RFC do say you are welcome to use their car park gratis outside match days, but don't mention how to find a bus. There are route buses along the A33, and if you get the right stop it's less than half a mile to walk even with B&Q in the way. But those buses don't stop there - or anywhere close - on the way into town.

Then there are the Green Park Greenwave buses, which stop a bit closer but need a bit of research to locate the footpath through to Brook Drive. And the timetable is aimed at getting workers into Green Park and back out, and not so helpful mid-day. What about buses into the Madejski car park specifically for being vaccinated? Such services exist in some places, but not in Reading - which is a bit odd, given the semi-municipal status of Reading Buses. I've just found a page labelled Wokingham Healthwatch (who?) about going to the Madejski centre, and that has a link to a map of bus stops. It's the Royals' map for match-day buses! I may have to have words with them ...

In the end I did provide a taxi service, and on leaving she was asked if she had come by car and was told to sit in the car for the 15-minute observation period. But that Wokingham Healthwatch site says once you've been done you're free to go - by implication even if driving. Has the 15-minute wait been officially dropped?