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.
[caption id="attachment_929424" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Motorists being screened before getting their booster covid19 vaccine shot, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain on Monday. Photo by Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
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.
[caption id="attachment_929425" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Robert Salandy 69, gets his booster covid19 vaccine dose at the drive thru site, Hasley Crawford Stadium on Monday. Photo by Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
"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 h
