HSE urging people only to attend Navan vaccination centre at allotted time

The HSE has acknowledged increased queue times and the need for the cancellation and rescheduling of some appointments at the Navan vaccination centre and urged people only to attend at their allotted time.

The Meath Chronicle received numerous reports of serious delays and rescheduled appointments last week with people believing HSE overbooking was creating the problem of large volumes of people arriving at the centre to be vaccinated at the same time.

While people were critical of the HSE for the delays there was only praise and sympathy for the staff working through the 12 hour days at the vaccination centre based in Simonstown GAA club.

One woman awaiting vaccination commented that it took three hours before she seen. "Staff were lovely and apologetic but HSE should not be overbooking them. They were working flat out in all fairness but two-and-a-half hours standing in a queue is a joke and not on."

Another said: Thirty mins waiting to get into the car park on Monday and over three hours queueing for the vaccine. Staff were brilliant, not their fault, they are either understaffed or the HSE is over booking.

In a statement the HSE said: "People should come only at their appointed times for vaccination at the HSE vaccination Centre at Simonstown Gaels GAA Club in Navan, Co Meath as it deals with large numbers availing of Covid-19 vaccinations.

"The centre remains very busy, and we are doing everything possible to accommodate everyone. However, given the volume of people arriving at the centre, it is inevitable that there will be queues.

"Members of the public are being offered the option of rescheduling rather than queueing. Our priority is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly and safely as possible. Therefore, it is important that people only attend at their allotted times.

"We would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding as we deal with the huge numbers of people availing of a vaccine."