Appointments available for first and second doses
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Appointments for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines will be open for the rest of the month, said Barry Rassin, a member of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee, yesterday.
This follows weeks of limited availability due to low supplies.
More than 33,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines that arrived in country on Wednesday allowed for an “aggressive” expansion of vaccination sites and appointments, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has said.
The shipment was the third tranche of vaccine doses from the World Health Organization’s COVAX Facility.
Speaking to reporters on the scheduling and demand for vaccines as more doses arrive, Rassin noted: “It’s outstanding. As soon as we put appointments online, they are gone. People are sitting by their computers waiting to get an appointment and they are making the appointments.
“We created it so that the first ones [to] get the opportunity are the second doses and as we get closer to the day, the first doses can also make appointments.”
Asked whether officials were concerned about individuals missing their second dose, especially with the threat of the COVID-19 delta variant, Rassin said: “It’s a reality we have to face. We have to get everyone vaccinated.
“We have to finish the second doses. They need to make an appointment. It’s been hard to make an appointment, but now all of them should be able to get appointments.
“We have room for everybody who needs to get a second dose to get a second dose. The delta variant is just something we have to deal with, and hopefully, people wake up and realize they’ve got to be vaccinated.”
He explained that while ensuring individuals receive their second doses is a priority, officials also want to ensure that more people are being vaccinated, with first doses to expand the rollout.
Some 617 people were expected to be vaccinated at Loyola Hall yesterday, the majority of whom were receiving their second doses.
On Monday, additional vaccinations are expected to reopen, including at Church of God on East Street and St Anselm’s Church Hall, which can both accommodate 250 people per day; and at Baha Mar, which can accommodate 800 people daily. Walk-ups will be facilitated at both church facilities.
As for the Family Islands, Rassin noted that those appointments will not begin next week, adding: “When they are ready for the next set of second doses, we will make sure they get the vaccines to have that done.”
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