The opening of the new centre was announced on Friday by Minister of Health Paulette Lenert. The country’s second vaccination centre is located in the northern building of the Maison des Matériaux at 30, avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux in Esch/Belval.
At the moment, the opening hours are still largely dictated by the number of doses delivered by producers and the invitations sent out by the National Health Directorate: for now, the days include Monday afternoon, Saturday morning, as well as from Tuesday to Friday between 7am and 7pm. Despite the current reduced service, 14 people can be vaccinated simultaneously.
Several queues may be made available to the public depending on the supply and the number of patients. A team of four doctors will take care of two lines at a time. They are spread over several posts and are assisted by four nurses. The municipality’s staff will also be on site to manage the organisation, as well as computer specialists for data processing.
Dr Silvana Masi, who manages the site, explains that at full capacity, the new centre will be able to vaccinate up to 6,700 people per week. A pharmacist will also be on location to manage the different doses of vaccines and patients will first be checked by a doctor who will then give their approval for the jab.
A nurse states that many people still have many questions about the procedure: the injection is given intramuscularly into the deltoid muscle. Right-handed people will receive the jab in the left arm and left-handed people in the right arm, because the injection can hurt a little and the nursing staff want to avoid any inconvenience to the people who have been vaccinated.
Dr Masi explains that, as with every vaccine, potential side effects can occur. The medical staff will ask patients to stay for a quarter of an hour to reassure them and monitor their physical response. If a more serious reaction is observed, they can be treated on the spot, thanks to the staff and CGDIS first-aid workers who are also present. A possible malaise, fever, or sudden fatigue can be detected after the injection.
The first invitations for phase 2 are expected to be sent out this week. People over 75 years of age as well as the most vulnerable will then receive their official invitation with a code that can be entered on myGuichet. As making an appointment via the internet is not a practical solution for everyone, a telephone number will also be provided for those that prefer to call.
