Vaccine sites ghost towns in northwest Trinidad on Monday

VACCINE sites in northwest Trinidad, namely the Paddock at the Queen's Park Savannah and the drive-through at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, both in Port of Spain, were a virtual ghost town for long spells on Monday.

When Newsday visited the Paddock, there were very few people inside, perhaps partly because of the brief but sporadic showers.

A couple said they believed the demand for vaccines had dropped considerably since most people who wanted or were required to receive them have already done so.

Yet even though Pfizer one-dose vaccines only became available recently for minors ages 12-18, pregnant women and healthcare workers, very few teenagers were seen at the site on Monday.

However, one mother and her two children, a boy, 14, and girl, 12, were seen eagerly getting out of their car to get the shot.

The mother did not want to give her or her children's names but said she did not hesitate to take them for the vaccine as it became available.

"The cons of getting (covid19) far outweigh the cons of getting the vaccine," she said, adding that her family has been guided by virologists and the government's health experts since the pandemic arrived.

"We have to be wary of the delta variant, which is already here," she added.

She suggested much of the fear of the vaccine was unwarranted, particularly since her children, and most in the country would have been immunised against various diseases much earlier in their lives.

"Unfortunately, fear is a powerful tool and people seem to be getting a lot of their information from WhatsApp..."

Newsday tried to obtain the numbers of those who received a dose of the vaccine, particularly on Monday, but was unsuccessful as workers said they were not authorised to speak with the media.

At the Hasely Crawford Stadium drive-through site, even fewer people were observed being screened, waiting for the shot and in observation after the shot.

The process at the drive-through site is the same as at walk-in sites but may take a few minutes less to complete, said one worker from the North West Regional Health Authority.

The drive-through was moved from the heliport in Chaguaramas to the stadium last Friday.

The number of vaccinations given was said to be considerably lower on Monday than Friday.

Both sites are open from 8 am-4 pm on weekdays.