ERHA rolls out door-to-door vaccination programme in Matelot

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Otto Carrington

The village of Matelot was the first to benefit from Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) vaccination outreach programme with health officials visiting door- to-door in the area.

This was part of 55 outreach programmes which will be conducted this month to increase the reach, accessibility and convenience for clients in the eastern region to access COVID- 19 vaccination.

In Matelot, the door- to- door vaccination plan went well.

For 75-year-old, Joseph Quintin Clunis, he told Guardian Media he felt very proud to receive the vaccine on his porch.

He said, “I feel very proud that they came home and give it to me and I did not feel the injection as a matter of fact and I wish people can come and get it especially people in Matelot,” he said.

He added: “Please don’t study those who are negative towards the vaccination. This is something that the Government is giving to us for free and with this pandemic we have to take all the necessary precautions and the vaccine so far is one to help us return to normalcy.”

Clunis said like polio and yellow fever, people had to take the vaccine to go to school. “

“I thought the injection was more than what I thought, and I am ready to take the second one at this moment”, he said.

The ERHA said it understands the geography of its region and due to the issues of travel also placed 16 health facilities and three mass vaccination drive centres.

The outreach programme was complemented with an ambulance along with doctors checking each recipient vitals before the jab.

It also included sessions where ERHA officials held a seminar explaining the vaccine and its benefits against the fight against the COVID-19 virus.

Villagers told Guardian Media that they were elated that the drive was at their door step as many of them live two hours away from the closest vaccination drive.

However, their call to encourage more villagers to come out and take the vaccine left many a bit hesitant.

Senior nurse Penny Ramlagan De Abreu said “so far this was the first community that we have targeted and as part of the outreach we are going out to the people and try to give them the necessary information to debunk some of the myths.”

She added: “We are reaching each community day- by-day; we are coming to the homes of those who cannot make it to the different outlined institutions or facilities but we are coming to your home to get you protected and as part of your personal growth is to keep our country safe.”

She said so far, yesterday’s activity has been positive as they had a lot of clients that came to be vaccinated and most of all cleared up the many misconceptions that many had towards the vaccine.

“I want citizens to know to take the responsibility as it is a personal one to take that we have to take in Trinidad and Tobago, each one of us must take it seriously to get vaccinated to fight this global pandemic and most of all maintain the 3 W’s,” she said.

The initiative also rolled out at the car park of Superstar Bar in Mafeking Village, Mayaro, and is expected to end on August 28 at the Sangre Grande Hindu School, Rousseau Street, Sangre Grande.