COVID-19 vaccine still not mandatory

Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic today assured that Government has not made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory, neither will it support any employer trying to force workers to get the jab.

He said while health authorities wanted to see as many Barbadians as possible immunized against the virus, the choice to get the vaccine or not is an individual one.

The Health Minister made that clear in response to an event last Saturday when scores of people gathered at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall to sign a petition against what social activist Winston Clarke described as vaccine intimidation. Clarke, who organized the event, is advocating against Barbadians facing consequences for refusing to take the vaccine.

He revealed that he had so far collected over 1 000 signatures and he intended to submit the petition to Parliament by next week.

Speaking to members of the media this morning at the Grantley Adams International Airport as Barbados received its first shipment of vaccines through the COVAX Facility, Minister Bostic said it was never Government’s intention to force anyone to be vaccinated.

“….Obviously we encourage everyone to take the vaccine, but it is not a mandatory kind of situation and people are free to take the vaccine if that is their desire, so we only encourage people to take the vaccine,” he said.

“So, those people who were protesting [on Saturday], they are within their rights, and certainly it is the position of the Government of Barbados not to make the taking of vaccines or being vaccinated against COVID-19 mandatory.”

Clarke had suggested that some employers were forcing workers to get immunized against their will.

However, Bostic stressed that such action was not supported by Government.

“That obviously is bordering on the Ministry of Labour and the responsibility is there,” he said.

“From the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ perspective, we encourage strongly every single Barbadian and resident of Barbados to take the vaccine, but the Government has maintained its position that we will not have a mandatory position in relation to the taking of vaccines,” Bostic insisted.

He said that, to date, there have been no reports of anyone having any adverse effects to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine which Barbadians have received.

The Health Minister said only the expected side effects, such as fever and soreness, have been reported.

(RB)