Steady stream for first day of booster covid19 shots at Savannah, stadium

There was a steady stream of people at the Paddock,Queen's Park Savannah, and the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain as the rollout of the covid19 vaccine booster shots were rolled out on Monday.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, during the covid19 virtual media conference on Saturday, said the recent acquisition of about 300,000 Pfizer vaccines meant there were enough vaccines available to give booster shots to those with initial AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccinations.

Eligibility depends on the date when the recipient got their last shot. Boosters are currently available for those who got their second shot by the end of June.

Since boosters are recommended up to six months after the completed vaccination course, those who received the Pfizer vaccine will not be due for boosters until March 2022.

Newsday visited the drive-through vaccination site at the Hasely Crawford stadium on Monday as long lines of cars filled the driveway outside.

One official, who asked not to be named, said the turnout had been relatively high since the gates opened at around 8 am, adding that as of 1 pm around 500 boster shots had been administered.

She said while the public appeared to be open to accepting a third dose, the number of people coming to receive their first dose has dropped significantly.

"It's been like this since morning. It hasn't died down or anything like that.

"It's advised by the Ministry of Health, so it's the right thing to do, but we are still advising people to get their first dose of the vaccine.

"Even with the increase in cases, the number of people coming to get their first dose has slowed down a lot. For the day we may do about 40-something or 50 first doses for the past two weeks. (It's) mostly second doses."

The official said there was a mixed crowd consisting of older and younger people coming for their third dose and urged people to get the vaccine if they have not done so.

Newsday spoke to one man who said he was pleased with the ease of the drive-through vaccination process.

"It was very convenient, even though there were quite a few people before me, there weren't any delays or anything, so everything ran smoothly."

He said he considered all of the factors before getting his booster shot.

"I know a lot of people may be a bit hesitant to get their third dose, but I can only advise them to do what I did, which was to follow the science and get advice from a qualified professional."

When Newsday visited the Paddock, officials declined to give any information on the turnout of people.

One woman who was on her way to receive her third dose said she chose to get it for her infant daughter, and urged hesitant people to consider the science and evidence before making their decision.

"I'm getting it for personal reasons: it makes me feel safer. But I also have a young baby who isn't eligible yet to be vaccinated, and I'm still breastfeeding, so it's important she gets the antibodies.

"I'm also doing it for my vulnerable relatives.

"All the information is available for you to read and make up your own mind. I just want to encourage everyone to not only consider their own health, but the health of your loved ones."

One man who asked not to be named said he chose to take the third dose after receiving advice from his personal physician and urged others to do the same.

"There really isn't anything left for me to say. Everything you need to know is out there. Whether people choose to do it or not is up to them."

The vaccination sites will be open from Monday-Friday from 8 am-4 pm.