Quiet start for booster jabs in south, central Trinidad

The Ministry of Health’s national covid19 vaccine booster programme got off to a quiet start on Monday at mass vaccination sites in south and central Trinidad.

When Newsday visited the UTT Chaguanas vaccination site around 9am, there were just over 50 people waiting to get their boosters.

Chaguanas resident Dindial Rampersad, 57, told Newsday the country’s alarming covid19 death toll played a key role in his decision to get the booster.

He said, “I came out because of the spike (in covid19 cases) and I noticed the increase in deaths.

“I had no concerns to get the booster and the only thing I was hesitant about was the weather.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Rampersad said he’s lost numerous friends to covid19 and would not like others to have the same experience.

So he’s calling on people to get their booster and get vaccinated if they aren’t already.

“I would tell people to get vaccinated, because with my experience, I didn’t have any side effects or anything.

“I’ve known quite a few people who got covid and died…as long as it have death and people are sick, you must feel a how about things.”

There were slightly more people at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA), San Fernando, mass vaccination site when Newsday visited around 10am.

An official at the site told Newsday the organisers were pleased with the turnout but believed there would have been more people if not for Monday’s bad weather.

The official added, “So far the turnout has been going very well. We started just after 7am and we’ve had a constant flow of people who are coming for their booster.

“We also want to encourage people to visit any of the other sites in south where boosters will be given, if that’s more convenient for them.”

Am enthusiastic Roy Brown told Newsday he wasn’t taking any chances with covid19, and getting the booster was the only option.

He lamented, “Long time you used to see seven, nine (people dying from covid19) but now is 19, 20, 22, 24…so that’s why I came out to get my booster, brother.

“What I does say is, you does try to talk to people, but if people have it in their head that they don’t want it (the vaccine), is only when they get sick they does get sense. You can only try to encourage people, but you can’t make them do it if they don’t want to.”

Kumarie Balroop’s husband, Nishan Deonarine, does construction and interacts with many people daily, so the two decided to get their boosters for an extra layer of protection not only for themselves but for their loved ones.

Balroop, 29, told Newsday, “My husband works with a lot of people and we just wanted to be safe on the safe side, especially because both of our parents are elderly.

“I was initially hesitant to get the vaccine because of the talk of side effects, and us being so young as well, but I was hesitant to get the booster.

“Especially for other young people, make sure to get vaccinated, because you may want to go out for a drink on a Friday and you’ll want to be safe.”

One 60-year-old Cocoyea woman, who asked only to be identified as Susan, also came with her husband to get the booster. Their fear of the omicron variant is what led them to get the booster. Given they do everything together, she said it was only right they came out to get protected together.

Susan told Newsday, “We’ve had the first two doses of AstraZeneca and today we’re getting a Pfizer booster.

“To everyone I would say: please get vaccinated, I think it makes good sense and it gives you that little added protection.”

The Ministry of Health began its national covid19 vaccine booster programme on Monday.

Depending on the date when they had their last shot, those vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, and Johnson & Johnson can visit the ministry’s 17 mass vaccinations sites with their vaccination cards and a form of identification to get their booster shots.