Flu jab

[Charlotte55]

Does anyone know if the flu vaccines are available yet?
c

[Bert]

Not as yet the pharmacist near me said we won't see it til Turkey have finished with their own people

[waddo]

Had ours last month at local pharmacy but they were from the South and cost 250TL each. Yes, I know that is expensive but what price life anyway. It was our first ones ever and in the current climate of loads of people thinking that the pandemic has passed and now doing whatever they want, we decided to get it whilst we could. As the saying goes "Every little helps" and we just hope it will.

Interesting that the price shown on the sealed package was around the 16 Euro mark so a good mark up for all those concerned.

[benjaminbutton]

I know three people who have already had it, one of them three weeks ago! I spoke to my two closest pharmacists yesterday who both said "if you have friends in the Health Offices or are in the know, then you can obtain 60 - 100, but we are getting ours in two weeks time" Nothing changes. I gather you can obtain it from NEU (Karakum) Hospital but always a queue and I don't know the cost.

[mrsgee]

Got ours 2 weeks ago. Went to our pharmacist who we have used for years. Gave our phone number and he called about a week later, popped down, job (jab) done, I think the cost was around 140 tl each, roughly.

[Mowgli597]

As noted before we got ours almost six weeks ago (27th September) at our regular pharmacy. We’d gone in there for something else and I suspect he just happened to have received a delivery. He told us he had asked for 100 but had only received 60. We gladly accepted his kind offer to take the jab there and then. We had had jabs there in previous years.

ETA: SWMBO thinks it cost TL200 each

[benjaminbutton]

Its amazing isn't it? The cost should be identical, regardless of where you ae vaccinated.

[waddo]

BJB, it depends on where the vaccines come from and which ones they are. Ours were “Tetra - Influvac sub-unit” from Mylan. They are the 2021-2022 version and come complete in a sealed box with the price (12.31 euros) stamped onto the box. I know the ones from Turkey are different and my pharmacist showed me the expected delivery date and suggested price (156TL) on her computer system before we decided to go for the ones we had.

[benjaminbutton]

waddo, I take your point, but surely the Health Ministry should be responsible for their importation and for an overall cost to the population, otherwise its the equivalent of a Post Code lottery isn't it?

[waddo]

BJB, quite right and no complaints from me through. Have learnt well how life works on the Island and am always grateful for when I am treated as a citizen instead of just a visitor but life is life and a lot of the responsibility for protecting it is down to each person. Always remembering that I am a (paying) guest here and keeping in mind that the country is struggling to even provide for its own people - I am happy to pay to stay and try not to be a burden. If it costs me extra to get the same or better product then I either do that or do without if I can’t afford it. Never expected to live here for free anyway but the climate, the country, the people, the safety and the pace of life in my retirement are worth every little oddity that comes my way. Happy here and (hopefully) looking forward to many more years of peace here. Take care out there.

[munchy]

Well said waddo