Let those waiting for Covid-19 vaccine booking invitations know queue positions, estimated waits

In the letter, “After registering interest in Covid-19 vaccination, is booking granted on a first-come, first-served basis?” (April 6), a TODAY reader sought clarity on how the authorities determine the order in which residents get to make vaccination bookings and whether it is first-come, first-served.

In response, other readers wrote of their own experiences trying to secure a booking and offered suggestions on how the Government could improve the process. Many have yet to receive invitations to book their vaccination slots despite registering some time ago.

Some suggested making known a person’s position in the queue or providing a more comprehensive standard reply that indicates the latest date when they would receive an appointment. Others suggested slowing down the roll-out of the vaccination programme if the system cannot cope.

I registered twice, on March 25 and March 27, and got the booking invitation on April 6. My husband has registered thrice since March 25 but hasn’t received a booking invitation as of April 8. CHAN MAEHUI

The authorities did a good job in managing the earlier batches but not so when it comes to the 45-to-59 age group. Issuing a queue number or a waiting-time estimate would be helpful. For example, after registering our interest, perhaps an SMS message with an estimated timeline for bookings can be provided (for example, “a booking slot will be released in (number of) days”). I believe the Government Technology Agency would be able to design a dynamic queue or registration system that tells us our position in the queue. PEGGY TAN

I do think that the reason quite a number of people like myself haven’t been able to book a slot for vaccination could be due to the system being overwhelmed by a large number of people trying to book a slot at around the same time. It might work better if the Government invited a smaller age-group range to register and vaccinate them in a staggered manner instead. For example, roll out pre-registration to those between 52 and 59 years old first, before moving to people aged 45 to 51. TOH HAI HOE

I am still waiting for the SMS message to invite me to book. It seems like there is no logic and it is such a random process. A friend registered and got a reply the next day. Another re-registered and got a slot almost immediately. AILEEN H LOO

I registered my interest on March 25 and received my booking link on April 6. Similar to what the writer experienced, I couldn't register on the evening of March 24 but it was very smooth on the morning of March 25. Unlike her, I did not register multiple times but just waited patiently for the next SMS. But I can't figure out the logic as the invitations came at different dates among a few of my family members who are in their 50s. NANCY PHUA

Transparency and communication are important. This will help to educate the community at large and, in turn, help Singapore to attain herd immunity. While the authorities may have good reason not to share every piece of information with the public, communication of some key areas such as the booking priority parameters (for example, by age or role) would be helpful. If it has to do with vaccine supplies or the availability of vaccination centres, then perhaps it would make more sense to widen the time gap between vaccinating eligible residents by age group, rather than inoculating everyone at such proximity and hitting roadblocks. NANCY KOH RUI LING

I registered on March 25. My German boss registered on March 26 and got his first dose on March 30. Another German colleague registered on March 27 and got his first dose on March 28. It's April 7 and I am still waiting. MAGGIE LUI

Transparency is the hallmark of Singapore’s governance. No one would begrudge prioritisation of our front-line and essential colleagues. But, when it comes to the general population, the opacity of how appointments are seemingly granted at random is not ideal. Given the fact that the appointments are essentially a queue, it should be possible to indicate an approximate time to an appointment post-registration for each individual. For individuals like me who need to return to their jobs overseas, there should be some way that we can connect with the authorities to get an understanding of when we could expect an appointment so that we can, in turn, inform our organisations of our return-to-work date. The uncertainty and inability to speak to any authority for an answer impose a mental strain. CHAUDHARI SANJAY

I suggest the following if the authorities can't cope. First, they should modify their standard reply to indicate they would get back, at the latest, by a certain date, such as three weeks from registration. Second, could we indicate, when registering, if we intend to go to a vaccination place near our homes or if we are open to going anywhere islandwide, as this would help with coordination? Third, be transparent on how the Government prioritises who gets the jab first. The authorities are losing credibility without a good explanation. NG BEE ENG

Maybe the system is not intelligent enough to recognise that someone has already registered his or her interest. I did it only once and simply waited for the SMS message and notification. Part of me wanted to register again and again, as the booking SMS message did not seem to come even after several days, but I told myself to wait. And, true enough, I received the notification to book a slot. ADAM ALI

Just wait it out. It took them more than a week to come back to me with the SMS message. LESTOR WONG

I registered more than six times before getting the confirmation SMS message. I just got my first dose last Sunday (April 4). NG BEE PENG

These comments were first posted to TODAY’s Facebook page or emailed to voices [at] mediacorp.com.sg. They have been edited for clarity, accuracy and length.