Pharmacies and GPS good and bad at flu jabs

sir – Hearing from friends that they had appointments for flu jabs, I rang our GP practice in Salisbury to book appointments for my husband and me.

I was told that they were not making appointments as they had no doses and did not know when they would receive any.

I went on to the Tesco pharmacy website and have made appointments for us tomorrow. What’s going on? Valerie Keeling

Salisbury, Wiltshire

sir – Not all Essex medical centres share the problems experienced by Chris Saltmarsh (Letters, September 21). Our local facility rang yesterday offering Covid boosters for my wife and me in three days.

When we pointed out that our flu jabs were arranged for October 2, the lady rearranged them to be concurrent with the booster.

Barry Bond

Leigh-on-sea, Essex sir – At our supermarket pharmacy there was no waiting at the appointed time, but privacy and a friendly service. Though my wife and I are pensioners I somehow expected to pay the advertised £8 fee, but there was no charge.

Our pharmacist clinician made light of our thanks, noting only that they had been offering similar personal service throughout the pandemic. Brigadier John Wardle

Ripon, North Yorkshire

sir – My wife and I booked a flu jab at a Boots in Bath, as our local pharmacy had run out of the vaccine. At the shop we were told the delivery driver had not arrived, but an assistant collected two doses from another branch.

We were both vaccinated within 30 minutes of our appointment time and have no complaints about the excellent service.

Chris Yates

Peasedown St John, Somerset