coronavirus

Hundreds of Seniors Get Vaccinated in Miami, But Frustrations Continue

NBC Universal, Inc.

Frustrations continued Saturday for seniors waiting to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

When Betsy Escalona got word that another 500 vaccines were ready, there was a sigh of relief. 

“Oh, the shot,” she said. “The vaccine shot!”

She made an appointment and showed up at San Juan Bosco Catholic Church in Miami Saturday. 

However, she says getting to this point has not been easy. 

“I’ve tried so many times online, by phone, with friends,” she said. 

Many people were turned away Saturday because they did not have an appointment. An organizer told NBC 6 there was misinformation about walk-ins being accepted.

Commissioner Joe Carollo said it takes everyone working together to be on the same page. 

“This is very difficult,” the commissioner said. “When you’re trying to get 500 people from one day to the other or maybe with two days notice, it takes a lot of logistics. It’s not easy to do.”

He said he plans to work it out so that more people are vaccinated next week. 

“We all have to work with each other,” said Carollo. “We all have to understand the stress that everyone is under, particularly our seniors.” 

Escalona hopes more people are not put through the stress she said she felt. 

“You don’t know exactly what to do or where to go,” she said. “One person says something, the other says something else. You don’t know what to believe.”

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