Coronavirus: Over 90s fail to take up vaccination slots

A health ministry change to its vaccination procedures for the elderly appears to have been more effective than anticipated, with some 4,000 appointment slots for coronavirus vaccines still available for people aged over 90, several hours after the portal reopened on Monday.

The ministry had changed the system, creating sub-categories to prioritise those over 90 amid complaints that appointment slots were being snapped up within minutes of becoming available. Eligibility before the change was for everyone aged over 80 not living in a care home.

As from Monday, the ministry opted to restrict access to new appointments to those aged 90 and over, only to find that by 1.00 pm, just 1,100 of the 5,488 available slots for vaccinations between January 28 and February 5 had been booked.

This was in stark contrast to last Monday when 3,466 appointments for over 80-year-olds disappeared within 30 minutes.

Health Ministry spokeswoman Margarita Kyriakou told the Cyprus News Agency said that all the appointments made available on Monday may not be booked as a number of elderly people have already been vaccinated and others have made appointments in the previous weeks.

The ministry will monitor the situation and depending on demand will decide whether to open up appointments to the next sub-category, which is people over 88. Those over 90 can continue to book, even if the new sub-category is opened up.

The ministry opens up appointments based on availability of vaccines, holding back half in each case for the second dose.

Meanwhile, about 40 per cent of health professionals working at Limassol Hospital have been vaccinated against Covid-19 so far, state health services (Okypy) director for Limassol and Paphos Christos Nicolaou told CNA.

He said that 510 of the 1,300 or so health professions have had the jab, with appointments made based on requests as vaccinations are not compulsory. Vaccinations of people aged over 80 at the old hospital were continuing smoothly, with no delays or problems, the news agency added.

Over the weekend, the ministry said 15,322 first dose of the vaccines has so far been administered in Cyprus. Moreover, 2,057 including health professionals and care home residents have received both doses.

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