Healthcare worker registers a senior in vaccination centre, Trenčín. (source: SITA)
It's like an online game that one needs to follow in order not to miss anything. When Health Minister Marek Krajčí announced on Facebook at 22:00 on Saturday night that people over 60 were able to register for coronavirus vaccination, it was late news.
The ministry had launched registration through the korona.gov.sk website earlier, and in Bratislava and some other places all available appointments were booked by 21:15.
This includes those who were on time only to realise there were registration problems. The system kept falling or failing to register the person at first attempt, hence those interested in the jab needed to enter their personal data all over again.
Many did not manage to register for vaccination due to these delays, because all available slots got filled in the meantime.
People 60+ comprise a large group of the population. The state starts vaccinating this group as of Monday, March 8. At the same time, doctors will vaccinate people in social care homes and those supposed to get the second dose.
New vaccination slots
Monday and Tuesday (March 8 and 9) night for people 70+ to receive Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, number of slots: 29,700
Wednesday or Thursday (March 10 and 11) night for people between 60 and 70 for the AstraZeneca jab, number of slots: about 30,000)
Registration through korona.gov.sk
Source: Health Ministry
Two age categories are now eligible to apply for the vaccination. The first group, over 70, receives the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine. The second group, between 60 and 70 years of age, will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The chaos in vaccine registration is yet another failure of the health minister in the past weeks. Junior coalition partners SaS and Za Ľudí are demanding his resignation, citing his mismanagement of the pandemic.
