In less than two months, the vaccination process in Canton Sarajevo (CS) has gone from the “best organization” to a “complete fiasco.”
It was April 21st when the immunization of the population over the age of 75 began, and the first reactions were great. Our senior citizens praised the organization, starting from the schedule of immunization to fast admission, registration, vaccination, and obtaining confirmation.
“Tears came to my eyes when I saw the organization. We did wait, but we finally received it,” told one lady, and some went further and said that the organization was “just like in Sweden.”
However, in recent weeks, citizens have become increasingly dissatisfied with the way the immunization process is being implemented. Many older citizens never received a call for a vaccine, and then irregularities and vaccination “out of turn” were confirmed.
“This is terrible. I am 71 years old and I can no longer stand on my feet. I will not get my turn in three hours. This is a disaster and a shame,” said the elderly lady, adding that she would eventually have to give up vaccination in Sarajevo and look for a vaccine in Serbia.
It all culminated in the past days when huge crowds of citizens were noticed in front of the Zetra Olympic Hall. They were waiting for several hours without any distance only to get the chance to enter the hall and get a dose of the vaccine. It should be noted that these are elderly people and oncology patients.
The real confusion has arisen because it is not clear to many when the vaccination takes place, and when the revaccination starts, so many citizens come to Zetra without a confirmed date and thus create additional nervousness. Also, there are many citizens who claim that they were not vaccinated on the day and at the time when it should have been done.
Authorities continue to assure the public that those who have not yet received a call are coming for the vaccine and that this is causing the crowd.
It is important to mention that the real mass immunization has not yet begun in the CS, but citizens are being vaccinated with a smaller number of doses that were delivered through the COVAX and the mechanisms of the European Union (EU)
The latest report of the Public Health Institute of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), according to whose plan the vaccination is carried out, shows that almost 134.300 out of a total of 413.500 inhabitants were vaccinated in the CS, Klix
E.Dz.
