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Undersecretary for Health, Iris Cardona, assured on Monday that to carry out vaccination against COVID-19 by appointment at the Pedrín Zorrilla Coliseum in San Juan, “it’s difficult,” although he anticipated changes in logistics that Puerto Rico National Guard (GNPR).
Since the first regional immunization center opened last week, an average of 600 health professionals are treated every day, but a significant number of people are left out, which, according to the official, “should not happen”.
With this in mind, dozens of people chose to spend the night outside the coliseum the day before the facility opened to gain access to the vaccine. In addition, long lines of cars have formed on the Las Américas Highway and other roads leading to Pedrín Zorrilla. According to Cardona, this took them by surprise.
“Although 1,000 vaccinations a day were anticipated that year, the desire to receive (the vaccine) in a hurry was more than anticipated. The operation in Pedrín Zorrilla is working very well, they have 20 vaccination tables, they have to respect the physical distance measures “Cardona explained the WKAQ – 580 AM. “The vaccination process is very technical, it has to flow in an orderly way, respect everything that is arranged and that is why it seems to flow slowly.”
Asked why a scheduling system is not in place, she indicated that this type of measure in a large-scale vaccination operation is not easy. He also ruled out calling doctors after their license numbers, but said “we will improve these processes.”.
He said that Pedrín Zorrilla is not the only vaccination center, as 107 health institutions administer the vaccine, although he said that citizens cannot go to these places alone, but rather have to wait to be called.
“There is an order and each of these facilities has started with doctors and will soon be open to peripheral health professionals,” advance.
Cardona also said that GNPR will open another regional vaccination center in Caguas this week and later in Arecibo.
However, He did not explain why they were late in opening them, as they are supposed to have refrigerators ready for storing vaccines in these regional centers since the beginning of the month..
According to the official, so far more than 35,000 health professionals have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Puerto Rico. However, Health needs thousands more vaccines to complete vaccination of Puerto Rican health professionals.
“The federal government’s commitment to Puerto Rico is to deliver about 30,000 vaccines each week over the next four weeks.. That puts us at the end of January and that goal must be met. In addition, there is the commitment of 11,000 weekly doses, which are vaccines that go directly to Walgreens in Puerto Rico, which affects long-term care facilities for the elderly, where we have a population of 40,000 people and more than 1,600 facilities. for which you bring the vaccine, “the official said.
Cardona also detailed that next Monday, January 4, the distribution of the second dose will start for the people who have already been vaccinated. This process will be parallel to that of the first dose.