By Sue-Ann Wayow
THERE is an average of 433 doses of vaccines per day at Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) sites.
ERHA’s Chairman Ronald Tsoi-A-Fatt speaking at the Ministry of Health’s virtual media conference on Monday said in total, 20,319 vaccines were administered in the region to date.
It was encouraging to see the uptake in the vaccine he added.
“We are in fact seeing a very encouraging sign with increasing vaccination uptake. We are currently doing an uptake of 433 average per day at the centres and before that we were doing far less, less than half of that. The population is more interested now in taking the vaccine.”
Certain sites are being set up for the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine which will now be done in an eight week interval.
Five mass vaccination sites have been prepared already and Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh was one of the first to receive his second dose at the mass vaccination site at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
Tsoi-A-Fatt said the Tacarigua Racquet Centre and the Sangre Grande Enhanced Health Centre will be used for the ERHA. Those who received their initial doses at those sites are being asked to return there for the second dose.
He said 7,241 doses were available for those two sites. The Tacarigua Racquet Centre was used as a mass vaccination site and 4,945 first doses of the AstraZeneca were administered at that location Tsoi-A-Fatt stated.
Additionally, of the Sinopharm vaccine that was currently being administered, Tsoi-A-Fatt said 5,633 vaccines have been administered for the period May 21 to June 3. And at Tararigua, 5,089 doses of the Sinopharm have been so far administered.
Tsoi-A-Fatt also said the Mayaro Sporting Complex will be available for those who received their first doses at the Mayaro and Rio Claro District Health Facilities and the Cumana Outreach Centre will be available for those who received their vaccines at the Toco Health Centre.
He said that individuals will be contacted via telephone to confirm their appointment for the second dose.
Tsoi-A-Fatt added that should persons miss the call, they should visit the designated health facility where the first dose was administered within eight or nine weeks after receiving the first dose to schedule an appointment.
The CEO also encouraged persons to keep their appointments at the stipulated time.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram added that it was national policy that different types of vaccines would not be administered to any one individual although that that was being done in other areas. He also said that persons receiving the second dose of the AstraZeneca should not be worried that they can now get the second dose in an eight to nine week interval instead of closer to 12 weeks.
He also said that since the Government had agreed to accept help from the private sector regarding vaccination, many have volunteered to assist especially at the mass sites.
And health officials once again appealed to the public to get vaccinated even if there were different variants of concerns.
