1,500 people received first jab to date
Govt to start publishing vaccination dashboard on Wednesday
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Registration for coronavirus vaccinations are starting to spike, with more than 1,500 people receiving their first dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine to date, according to the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee.
Committee Co-Chair Ed Fields told Eyewitness News yesterday that those numbers are increasing daily.
“The first day after we opened up to [individuals] 65 years and older, the bookings were extremely strong and the following days, all of the bookings, over 500 bookings per day, were taken up and fully used,” Fields said.
“All doses were used and we see that next week is looking strong as well.”
He added: “Our only objective is to ensure that the vaccine is available and that the process of getting the vaccine administered is as smooth and seamless to the public, who wishes to take it, as possible.”
In a statement released yesterday, the committee advised that additional vaccination sites will open up this week on New Providence and Grand Bahama.
It noted that additional medical and logistical support has been deployed to Grand Bahama to ensure a swift and efficient rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Susan J Wallace Community Center and Rand Memorial Hospital starting today.
Mobile units will also begin administering vaccines to residents and staff of elder care homes and non-ambulatory individuals on both islands this week.
The government recently received its first tranche of 20,000 Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines from the government of India and began administering those doses last week Sunday during a trial run.
Vaccinations continued at Loyola Hall, Gladstone Road, Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), Doctor’s Hospital and Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre throughout the week.
The program expanded to other eligible groups last Wednesday, with PMH beginning vaccinations at its Critical Care Block.
New vaccination centers on New Providence to open this week include the Church of God of Prophecy, East Street; the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) base, for the uniformed branches; and Lyford Cay Hospital.
Those eligible to receive the vaccine in this first round of vaccinations include healthcare workers, individuals 65 years of age and over, residents and staff of elder care homes and staff of the uniformed branches, starting with the RBDF.
The vaccine committee further advised that a vaccination appointment center for residents without access to the internet or a device will be set up at the East Street vaccination site, which is set to open on March 26.
The government is expected to begin publishing its vaccination dashboard on Wednesday.
