Medical clinics across the Bay are bursting at the seams at key times of the day with pensioners wanting their winter flu jab.
At Otumoetai Doctors, the waiting room was overflowing yesterday as hundreds of elderly people flocked to a special clinic that was running from 2pm to 4.30pm.
And at CentralMed
in the Avenues, the picture was much the same at daily clinics this week. The winter flu jab programme came unstuck last month during its first week when supplies ran out. While supplies were now assured, the break in service has created a backlog of concerned people waiting to be vaccinated.
Glenys Olesen,practice manager at Otumoetai Doctors, said her staff had treated about 1000 people so far.
Each person must stay at the surgery for 20 minutes after the injection in case they have an adverse reaction and this has created congestion at peak times, she said.
Patients started arriving about 1.45pm yesterday at the Otumoetai clinic but by 3pm the backlog had cleared.
At CentralMed, doctors were trying to treat all patients who walk-in as well as those who make an appointment for the jab. It was "extremely busy" mid-morning at CentralMed yesterday but was clearer later in the day, a receptionist said.
Bayfair Doctors handle all injections by appointment only.
