For Eva Rödig from Dottendorf, it was her daughter-in-law who got through shortly after 8. And Günter and Ingrid Herold from Brüser Berg were lucky to be able to make two appointments with one call. "This is the biggest day in our lives as seniors," says the 92-year-old. Have they considered getting vaccinated? "No, we always go for flu shots," says his wife (82).

A small line forms in front of the entrance. But it's much shorter than at the Sankt Augustin vaccination center. Vaccinations are held in the Nairobi hall. Where climate and other conferences usually take place, the fire department and the WCCB team had already set up eight vaccination lines in December. Thomas Plümacher is standing by as an usher. Normally he plays the viola in the Beethoven Orchestra, but at the moment there is less to do and so he is at the WCCB with five other musicians including General Music Director Dirk Kaftan. Almost all of his colleagues were willing to help.

Because there is less vaccine than initially planned, only four vaccination lines are in operation. Hans Rudolf is assigned to booth 1. Valentin Meßler sets the needle. Otherwise, he is an orthopedist and accident physician in Wuppertal. A welcome change for him, as he says. At 2:20 p.m., Hans Rudolf is already out again. He does not take advantage of the 15-minute aftercare. "The vaccination was "completely problem-free. And he is already looking forward to the second one on March 1.

Meanwhile, Lord Mayor Katja Dörner has arrived. The delay until the start of vaccination had "tugged at the nerves, including mine," she says. Because of the shortage of Biontech vaccine, only 183 seniors can currently be vaccinated each day. The city hopes to have 4,000 people receive the first dose by the end of February. Astrazeneca's vaccine will also be available starting this Wednesday. Then, at the WCCB, female employees of the ambulatory care services will be allowed to be immunized.

Change of scene: Punctually at 2 p.m., the vaccination center of the Rhein-Sieg district also opens in the Asklepios Children's Hospital in Sankt Augustin. Already 45 minutes earlier, the first people have been waiting in front of the doors of the registration desk, which is housed in a heated exhibition tent at the entrance to the clinic grounds. Outside it is minus three degrees. Because many vaccination candidates are there too early, the queue stretches to the sidewalk right from the start, with orderlies warning them to keep their distance. Even at 5:20 p.m., more than 70 people are still standing on the street, many with wheelchairs and walkers. What's going on?

District spokeswoman Rita Lorenz reports that there were delays in the provision of the vaccine, for which the pharmacists were responsible. She says the Asklepios clinic has offered its own staff to assist, in order to shorten the waiting time for people outside. However, one GA reader reported that she stood in the cold with her uncle for an hour and a half.

Gertrud Rusche from Oberpleis is the first to come to the registration tent at 2 p.m. to take her temperature. "Anyone who has more than 38 degrees is not allowed in the vaccination center," explains Ingo Freier, head of the Office of Civil Protection at the district. The educational talk also still takes place outside the clinic building.

Those who have completed all the formalities are directed by pathway managers to the vaccination lanes on the third floor of the clinic building. A separate elevator is available, and immunization clients have no contact with hospital operations. "I'm impressed by the anticipation of the people standing outside. Half an hour early, they're here waiting for a very rare commodity," says District Administrator Sebastian Schuster, who is checking out the vaccination launch at noon. Only about 450 vaccine doses per day are available for the start. "We'll start with four of the eight vaccination lines and then, starting in the fourth week, we'll stock up to eight vaccination lines - four for the first vaccination and four for the second vaccination," Freier explains.

Vaccinations are given seven days a week from 2 to 8 p.m. each day. "Vaccinated people should not arrive too early at the vaccination center to avoid long waiting times," the Rhine-Sieg district has warned in advance. This also applies to Bonn.

The worry of not arriving on time drives people to the appointment earlier anyway. It is already anticipated that the number of handicapped parking spaces at the Sankt Augustin clinic will not be sufficient. All three are occupied on Monday by entitled persons with handicapped parking permits, a woman with a wheelchair in the trunk and an old lady on the passenger seat drives back and forth in vain. There are free parking spaces across the street at the Steyler Missionaren, which are specially marked for customers of the vaccination center. Even in the evening, there is still plenty of parking space available, while the queue at the tent is only slowly getting shorter.

(Original text: Bernd Eyermann and Bettina Köhl / Translation: Mareike Graepel)