Vaccine appointment mix-ups in North, South

NARISSA FRASER and RACHAEL ESPINET

At the Health Ministry's virtual press conference on Monday morning, epidemiologist Dr Avery Hinds said half the doses of the country's covid19 vaccines had been dispensed, so vaccination efforts will begin to slow down.

The ministry, in a statement issued on April 21, said it will increase the rate of the administration of the first dose of vaccines from the current stock. This was because of the high acceptance levels within the groups of eligible people.

It said then that all existing appointments will be honoured and brought forward to the week ending April 25, but warned that the vaccination of eligible people, using the current stock, would have ended in approximately one week from the date of the statement being issued, and the balance would be held to administer the second dose. “This process has already been initiated.”

The ministry also said in that statement that while new appointments were not being given, healthcare workers, people with non-communicable diseases and those who are 60 years and older may contact the various vaccination facilities to be placed on a list when the new stock is available.

However, people continued to visit the designated sites to register and were told by officials: "We don't know when we're getting any more vaccines."
As at 4pm, 41,549 people had been vaccinated.

Lisa Agard, chairman of the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), told Newsday the NWRHA organised the vaccination drive at the Savannah and it was a "resounding success."

However, because of the success of the vaccination drives, there are few remaining doses.

"We really don't have a lot of vaccines left," she said.

Phase one of the vaccine programme was available to people over 60, people with non-communicable diseases and health care workers. Phase two included parliamentarians and their spouses, local government representatives, and frontline essential workers such as media workers, judiciary staff, teachers, national security personnel and sanitation workers.

In south Trinidad, a number of people who said they had appointments for the vaccine at other designated facilities of the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) were sent to La Romaine to "take a chance" and see if they could get the jab there instead.

They were told the district's head nurse had taken the remaining vials to the La Romaine Health Centre, as the appointment list there was longer.

On Monday morning, Newsday visited the La Romaine and Ste Madeleine health centres , both of which the Health Ministry listed as south sites for distributing the covid19 vaccine.

Two men at the Marabella centre had just received their first jab and said they were not hesitant at all.

Kavesh Dinanath said he was glad and "was always sure" about getting vaccinated. He also plans to register his parents, adding that his father had been hesitant owing to cardiac issues.

A 60-year-old man said: "All the vaccines that passed before, I take it. All. And this one was no problem for me at all."

There were people who had been waiting there for over two hours, after being sent from the Princes Town and Marabella Health facilities.

One person told Newsday she had an 8 am appointment at Marabella and only after waiting there for around two hours, was told to go to La Romaine instead, because "some lady from the (Health) Ministry came and took the last two vials."
After she arrived at La Romaine, officials there said they would try to "filter in" the extra people, but could not give an assurance they would get the vaccine, "because they have to accommodate their scheduled (registered) people."

Two other people shared the same experience, with another woman having been sent from the Princes Town Health Facility.

A 63-year-old man said in total, he had been waiting four hours, as he waited for two in Marabella and then two more after being sent to La Romaine.

The full list of SWRHA vaccination sites included the Couva District Health Facility, and health centres at Freeport, La Romaine, Point Fortin, Princes Town, Siparia and Ste Madeleine.

But as phase two of the rollout nears its end, Newsday understands those who have appointments within the SWRHA catchment area will now be directed to seek vaccination at the Freeport, Siparia or La Romaine centres.

In north Trinidad, anxious senior citizens have been walking into the Diego Martin Health Centre hoping to be vaccinated. Newsday spoke to a 73-year-old woman who recently had a minor stroke. She registered for an appointment weeks ago, but is yet to receive a call giving her an appointment.

She called friends who worked at the Ministry of Health, and got an appointment at the Queen's Park Savannah vaccination site on Sunday – but was not able to go because she didn't have anyone to take her.

"My doctor told me not to drive on the highway. None of my friends were able to take me. If I could take myself I would, but it was too far for me to go."

The woman lives in Diamond Vale and went to that health centre, on Wendy Fitzwilliam Boulevard, because it was the most convenient for her. However, she eventually walked out without being vaccinated when a nurse announced that the centre was dealing with health care workers.

A crowd began to form at the door of the health centre and the nurse said she would close the door on them if they did not disperse. She kept telling the hopeful walk-ins that health care workers were the priority, and asked them to have a seat in the waiting area.

An 86-year-old woman had an appointment for June 8. She walked into the clinic hoping to be vaccinated because she was afraid the vaccines would run out before she could be inoculated.

"I found (the appointment) was too far. When you look at the TV and find out what is happening in India, I don't want that to happen here. I also don't want them to run out of vaccines by the time I have my appointment."

Staff of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and UN were among those waiting at the centre on Monday.