Slot booking blues for 18-44 group

SHILLONG, May 16: A faulty system has prevented many 18-plus people in the state from registering their slot for COVID-19 vaccination.
The slot registration from May 17 to May 23 was opened on Sunday at 12 noon.
As was the case a week ago, all the slots were booked within few hours and many could not complete the process.
A woman who tried to register said she faced a lot of problems.
“I completed everything but received the security code after an hour although there were no problems with the network,” she said, asking the government to rectify the errors and ensure that everyone gets the opportunity to be vaccinated.
Another woman said she got the appointment but soon she received a message that it had been cancelled.
A government official said the platform is managed by the Union government and excessive traffic could have led to the delay in receiving the security code or slot confirmation message.
“All the slots till May 23 have been booked but a few slots in some districts are still available,” the official said.
He added that the date for booking the next slot would be decided in a week’s time.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma asserted everyone in the state would get the vaccine.
The state government’s call for vaccination of people aged 18-44 years has received a positive response from the target group.
5,712 citizens in the 18-44 age group have been vaccinated with the first dose since the drive began on Friday.