COVID19: Jabs for vulnerable groups grabbed within hours

Just hours after the national inoculation platform opened for diabetics and the severely obese more than one-third of 19,000 available vaccination appointments were snapped up within hours.

The online Vaccination Portal opened on Monday morning with 19,246 appointments for individuals with Diabetes Mellitus or Severe Obesity, by 3 pm some 7,000 bookings were made, according to the Health Ministry.

The portal will remain open until 7 pm on Thursday, April 1.

Eligible to apply are patients registered as having Type I and Type II diabetes, who need to take insulin, as well as those acutely obese, regardless of age.

Also eligible are people with Diabetes Mellitus and macrovascular and/or microvascular complications (Coronary Artery Disease, Peripheral Angiopathy, Chronic Renal Disease, Vascular Stroke, Carotid Artery Disease, Retinopathy).

Other types of diabetes will be eligible for inoculation appointments from mid-April.

Appointments may be registered by a GP or directly on the national health system (GHS) portal www.gesy.org.cy.

The Health Ministry said that as of Thursday, Cyprus’ inoculation rollout will continue to climb down the age ladder with people aged 65 and over next in line.