Scores of people turned up at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA) mass vaccination site in San Fernando on Monday morning for their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The vaccines are part of the estimated 82,000 doses of the AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine donated by Canada.
At the ministry’s covid19 media conference on Saturday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said 10,000 first doses would be allocated to SAPA.
[caption id="attachment_906199" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Southerners braced the heavy rain on Monday morning to get the first jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts in San Fernando. Photo by Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
When Newsday visited the site shortly before 10am on Monday, one official said, “This morning we have a lot of people here especially for the AstraZeneca vaccine. Everybody is here and ready to get their shot.”
The official told Newsday most people had made appointments using the Ministry of Health’s online appointment system, which opened on Sunday.
With heavy rain at the site, the large number of people waiting to register had to huddle below the main registration tent.
Up to the time when Newsday had arrived, the official estimated that at least 500 people had come for their jab.
Garnet West from Penal told Newsday he believed the AstraZeneca vaccine was the best vaccine to take if he wanted to travel abroad.
[caption id="attachment_906200" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Heavy rains did not stop this man from going to get the first jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts in San Fernando on Monday morning. Photo by Marvin Hamilton[/caption]
"To travel, all (vaccines) are good, but this one is the one to get to go Canada."
Apart from travel, West added, "For the country to move on, and for the economy to get back going, we have to come out and get vaccinated."
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