Walk-in for Covid-19 jabs off to smooth start, with most waiting just 5-10 minutes
The walk-in option at vaccination centres for people to take their Covid-19 jabs got off to a smooth start on Wednesday, with most saying they waited between five and 10 minutes for their turn.
From Wednesday, eligible individuals of any age group can walk into joint testing and vaccination centres (JTVC) and children vaccination centres from Mondays to Saturdays without the need for an appointment.
Previously, only those aged 50 and above could walk into any JTVC to get vaccinated without an appointment. Covid-19 vaccinations at polyclinics and Public Health Preparedness Clinics will continue to require an appointment, except for seniors aged 80 and above for polyclinics.
When The Straits Times visited three JTVCs on Wednesday afternoon, groups of between 20 and 50 individuals were seen at each location.
Most of the 21 individuals ST spoke to said the waiting time to receive their jab at the centres was between five and 10 minutes.
Shipping manager Henry Lee had to wait only two minutes to get his fourth jab at JTVC Ang Mo Kio to prepare for his upcoming overseas trip in February.
“The people here have done a really good job at simplifying the process. They asked me if I was here for vaccination, what type of vaccine I was taking, then channelled me to the right place. The queues moved very quickly,” said the 60-year-old.
Over at JTVC Yishun, supervisor Jack Tan, who took his fourth jab with his wife, said they decided to walk in after reading the news about the walk-in option on Tuesday night.
The 32-year-old said the walk-in option was convenient and the vaccination process seemed to be faster than the previous times when he took his jabs.
At JVTC Kaki Bukit, Mr Fathul Rahman, who is in national service, took the opportunity to get his fourth jab as he was not working on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old said he decided to take the jab after his superior advised him to do so. “But at the same time, I also wanted to take the jab for my health and safety,” he added.
Similarly, hairstylist Dianne He took her second booster jab at the same centre as a precautionary measure against the virus.
“It’s very hard to know what this virus can do to our health in future. So the best thing to do now is to get jabbed to protect myself and my customers,” said the 48-year-old.
Though crowd levels were manageable on Wednesday, staff members at the JTVCs said they expect the crowd to pick up in the coming days.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said that a longer waiting period should be expected on days when there is high demand for vaccinations, particularly on Saturdays.
Expecting bigger crowds soon, a staff member at JTVC Ang Mo Kio, who declined to be named, said: “We are preparing additional manpower, so we can cater to more people.”
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