Some 5,751 appointment slots had been reserved in Mauricie-et-Center-du-Québec for the first phase of vaccination against COVID-19, a reservation that is not necessarily easy to make for seniors.
Residents of Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, Jeannine and Léo Déziel, aged 83 and 87 respectively, are among those who have reserved their place for the vaccine.
When the TVA Nouvelles team met them at their home on Thursday morning, Jeannine Déziel had come up against a busy line at least 20 times. If the couple received an iPad for Christmas, navigation remains difficult.
“I am not touching the tablet,” said Déziel.
It was the journalist from TVA Nouvelles who took control of the electronic device and the two eldest children then obtained an appointment in less than ten minutes. They will therefore receive their first dose of the vaccine on March 25, at the Gilles-Bourassa arena in Shawinigan.
“I’m very happy,” dropped Mr. Déziel.
The one who has long been the village mechanic and who occupies a prominent place in the world of storyteller Fred Pellerin admits that the pandemic is beginning to weigh on him.
And the Déziel are no exception, while at the community organization Les Petits Frères, in Trois-Rivières, it is explained that the telephone has started ringing since the announcement of the launch of the mass vaccination, last Tuesday.
While some call to make sure they can be accompanied when the time comes, others want help in the process of making an appointment.
The Regroupement des centers d’Action Volunteer de la Mauricie-et-Center-du-Québec is hard at work to set up intervention teams to support seniors.
The task promises to be difficult, however, as most of the volunteers themselves are seniors waiting to get their first dose of the vaccine.
13,759 appointment slots have been made available for the first phase of vaccination in the region, which will run from March 18 to April 6.
Caregivers aged 70 and over who are present at least three days a week with a senior over 85 can also take advantage of a first dose.
Nearly 21,000 doses have been administered to date in Mauricie-et-Center-du-Québec.
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