Public pleased with covid19 vaccine-appointment system

As the covid19 vaccination drive continued on Monday, people visiting the Barataria and La Horquetta health centres were generally pleased with the new appointment system.

Last Friday it was reported that some people with appointments were unable to get the AstraZeneca vaccine, and concerns were repeated about difficulty in making appointments by phone or WhatsApp.

Newsday visited the Barataria Health Centre and spoke with Amrit Mahabir who said he was pleased with the appointment system and felt it worked well for him, as he was able to get an appointment with relative ease.

"I suffer with hypertension, so I know they made sure that people with underlying health conditions were given some priority.

"I was overall happy with the system. The entire procedure probably took about 15 minutes, with an additional 30 minutes for them to observe me to make sure I didn't have any serious reactions to the vaccine."

A woman who asked not to be named said she received the vaccine and was also pleased with the system as it was convenient for her to make an appointment over the phone, rather than visit a health centre in person.

"Rather than taking time out of my day to drive down here just to put my name down, it's much easier just to send it in via WhatsApp. It saves time and limits whatever interactions we might have with other people along the way."

One Barataria resident, Alwyn Armstrong, was turned away as he did not have an appointment.

Armstrong, 71, said he felt the vaccines should be available on a first come, first served basis for the elderly, as they were most vulnerable to infection.

He complained, "They (government) want everyone to take it but we have to go through this procedure of making an appointment.

"In the time it took for them to send me back, the nurses could have given me the vaccine and I would have been on my way."

Newsday also spoke to John King while he waited for a relative outside the Barataria Health Centre. He was glad to have a date for his vaccination, but felt the system could be difficult for some senior citizens.

"I don't know a whole lot about this WhatsApp thing, so I asked someone to organise it for me. But I'm happy I got through with my appointment, which is on Wednesday.

At the La Horquetta Health Centre one woman said she was satisfied with the prompt response when making her appointment by phone.

"I can't really complain. There was not that much people here today to get their vaccine, but I was surprised with how smooth the process was on the inside. The nurses were very accommodating."

La Horquetta resident Lloyd Charles, 76, was not so happy as his vaccination was pushed back even after using the new appointment system.

"I was given an appointment on May 19. When I went there on the date, I was told they would call me.

"I decided to check in with them again today, which is the 24th, and the staff is still telling me they would call me again."

Charles said he was disappointed at the repeated delays and had hoped for an easier system.