Sir, – I am delighted to have received my first dose of vaccine in City Hall, Cork.
I was impressed with the efficiency of the stewarding, registration process, and vaccination staff, but I hope that the appointment system will have been fine-tuned by the time I am called for my second jab.
My appointment time was 11.35am and we were told not to arrive more than five minutes early. We also received a link to a guide to what to expect at a Covid-19 vaccination centre. It said: “Your appointment will take around 30 minutes: 15 minutes to get registered and vaccinated; 15 minutes of observation after the vaccine to make sure that you feel well before you leave.”
I arrived at City Hall just before 11.30 but it was 12.50 before I sat down in a booth to be vaccinated. That meant close to an hour and 20 minutes standing in a queue that snaked along the front and side of the building before breaking into two lines inside canvas corridors in the grounds.
Perhaps some special circumstance caused a one-off delay. If not, particularly given our 65 to 70 age group, I would suggest that it is important to provide more accurate information on the length of time the process of getting vaccinated in a centre like City Hall can take.
Anyone who finds it difficult to stand for such a long period really needs advance information on how long they may have to queue. If such a delay is related to inviting too many people to attend at the same appointment time, that is a mistake that should be quickly rectified by spreading out appointments in a more efficient way. If it arises from there being too few vaccinators to handle the numbers invited to attend, that should be addressed too. – Yours, etc,
SANDRA McAVOY,
Cork.
Sir, – I recently got my Covid-19 test at the Aviva in Dublin. The Army handled everything with (ahem) military precision. Well done to them. I just wonder if, when they assist with administering the vaccines, their orders are to “Present arms”. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN SPRING,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.