[UPDATED] AstraZeneca vaccine rollout by appointment on Monday

FROM Monday, the Ministry of Health will begin administering to the public the estimated 82,000 AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine donated by Canada.

On Saturday, at the ministry’s covid19 media conference, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the first doses will be issued at the mass vaccination sites throughout the country.

He said, “Thirty-one thousand, three hundred and thirty of these are expiring by the end of August, so we have just under two to three weeks to get these vaccines out into arms.

“The other 50,700 will be expiring at the end of October, so it fits in basically with the eight-to-12-week window that we have between AstraZeneca’s first dose and second dose.”

The sites in Trinidad which will begin roll out on Monday are:

— Paddock, Queen’s Park Savannah – 3,000 doses

— NAPA, Port of Spain – 3,000 doses

— UTT, Chaguanas – 5,000 doses

— National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua – 4,000 doses

— Sangre Grande Civic Centre – 2,000 doses

— Mayaro Regional Sporting Complex – 1,000 doses

— SAPA, San Fernando – 10,000 doses

— Divali Nagar Site – 5,000 doses

— Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva – 5,000 doses

Tobago has been allocated 4,000 doses and roll out was expected either Tuesday or Wednesday, Deyalsingh said.

He added that a call centre and online appointment systems will become available from Sunday for the public to book spaces for vaccinations.

Deyalsingh said while walk-ins will be accommodated, priority will be given to people with appointments.

The call centre contact is 800-VACC (8222) and online appointments can be made via www.ttvaccine.com. In a statement, on Saturday evening, the ministry said appointments can be made daily from 7 am to 7 pm starting Sunday.

"While walk-ins will be facilitated, people with appointments will be given priority," the ministry said.

Deyalsingh, at the briefing, added that public servants who are yet to receive their second dose of AstraZeneca will be accommodated at the National Racquet Centre and UTT.

Sinopharm first doses, he said, will continue to be administered at all health centres, the Frankie Boodram Wallerfield International Raceway drive-through site and the Heliport in Chaguaramas drive-through site. TT bought 800,000 Sinopharm from China which it received on July 13.

Deyalsingh said the rate of vaccinations which should have been nearing 500,000, had dropped to 4,500 doses per day compared to 15,000 per day in July.

He said the reasons in the past for a lack of participation in the vaccination process was not being able to have vaccine options but hoped this would not be the case this time.

“We are not happy with the vaccination figures. By now we should have been touching 500,000 first dose but we are at 415,826 — 30 per cent of the population.

“That is abysmal when you consider the vaccines are now within walking distance, it is free, you don’t have to line up, you don’t have to make an appointment but to just get vaccinated.”

Deyalsingh the regional health authorities have adopted a community-based strategy, but the figures have remained low.

He said the cost was hefty to operate a mass vaccination site daily and have had to consolidate several sites because of it.

“While we go door-to-door is good, the yield you get from door-to-door is very low as opposed to a mass vaccination site or drive through.

“It cost, whichever entity, it is $75,000 to $100,00 per day to run a mass vaccination site for the population. So, the only return on the investment we are asking for is not a monetary return, but we are asking for people to come and get vaccinated.”

Deyalsingh said mass vaccination sites had the capability to accommodate between 1,500 and 2,000 people per day.

The ministry has reported that 222,741 people have received two doses of covid19 vaccines.

This story has been updated with additional information. Below is the original story.

From Monday, the Ministry of Health will begin administering to the public the estimated 82,000 AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine donated by Canada.

On Saturday, at the ministry’s covid19 media conference, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the first doses will be issued at the mass vaccination sites throughout the country.

He said, “Thirty-one thousand, three hundred and thirty of these are expiring by the end of August, so we have just under two to three weeks to get these vaccines out into arms.

“The other 50,700 will be expiring at the end of October, so it fits in basically with the eight-to-12-week window that we have between AstraZeneca’s first dose and second dose.”

The sites in Trinidad which will begin roll out on Monday are:

— Paddock, Queen’s Park Savannah – 3,000 doses

— NAPA, Port of Spain – 3,000 doses

— UTT, Chaguanas – 5,000 doses

— National Racquet Centre, Tacarigua – 4,000 doses

— Sangre Grande Civic Centre – 2,000 doses

— Mayaro Regional Sporting Complex – 1,000 doses

— SAPA, San Fernando – 10,000 doses

— Divali Nagar Site – 5,000 doses

— Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva –5,000 doses

Tobago has been allocated 4,000 doses and roll out was expected either Tuesday or Wednesday, Deyalsingh said.

He added that a call centre and online appointment systems will become available from Sunday for the public to book spaces for vaccinations.

Deyalsingh said while walk-ins will be accommodated, priority will be given to people with appointments.

The call centre contact is 800-VACC (8222) and online appointments can be made via www.ttvaccine.com

Deyalsingh added that public servants who are yet to receive their second dose of AstraZeneca will be accommodated at the National Raquet Centre and UTT.

Sinopharm first dose, he said, will continue to be administered at all health centres, the Frankie Boodram Wallerfield International Raceway drive-through site and the Heliport in Chaguaramas drive-through site. TT bought 800,000 Sinopharm from China which it received on July 13.