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#BTEditorial – The whole truth and nothing but the truth

by Barbados Today
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“Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pain to bring it to light.” – George Washington.

Truth has a way of making people uncomfortable, either as they tell it or when they hear it. But the truth must be told as it will always prevail.

When the truth has to be pried or extracted, it can often create a situation of distrust and suspicion, even if that was not the ultimate intention.

Where there is uncertainty and the truth is not told up front, it often makes matters worse.

This is the situation we now find ourselves in as it relates to the national debate on mandatory vaccines. The issue arose from the recent change in policy by some employers who require staff to take the COVID-19 vaccine or pay for regular testing.

As expected, the issue has caused a divide. On one hand, many vaccinated people defend their right against being sickened by a deadly virus, while the unvaccinated stand on a point of the right to choose.

For all sides, the need for unvarnished and unfiltered facts is key, whether the facts prove that the vaccines are working or that there are some cases of adverse effects. This must be weighed against the facts of a virus that has caused unmitigated harm or loss and can yet exact a further toll of both lives and livelihoods.

Any attempt to withhold facts or tell one side of the vaccine story is futile and will not help our citizenry in any way.

That is why we agree with General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union, Toni Moore, who has said on more than one occasion that education about the vaccines is what is needed.

We might have put the cart before the horse when we decided to use influencers, Sanitation Service Authority trucks, skits on CBC TV and all manner of public relations tools to urge people to take the jab. Perhaps, we should have taken Moore’s advice and educate the public first. Happily, at least, that advice seems now to have been heeded.

Abraham Lincoln once said: “I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.”

We are also concerned about Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George’s revelation that only came after he was questioned by an attendee of a town hall meeting on vaccines and testing.

Valerie-Suzette Jean-Marie, founder of the Barbados Independent Complaints Register, questioned Ministry officials about the adverse effects the vaccines have caused.

Dr George responded: “What I will tell you is that we are investigating one or two deaths. It is a process that is going on. We have to gather the evidence . . . There is a process we have to follow that involves multiple steps and it is only after we go through that rigorous process can we make the link.”

As we reported, it was not immediately clear how long after the vaccinations the deaths occurred, whether the individuals had contracted COVID-19 in what is considered a breakthrough infection, or whether a cause of death had been determined by autopsy. No details on the age, gender or date of death of the two were made available.

This is the second time in recent weeks that health officials had to be pressed for pertinent information that relates directly to the COVID-19 vaccination debate.

On Friday, July 23, during a press conference we were told by Minister of Health Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic that all the COVID-19 patients in isolation were unvaccinated.

By that Sunday, Dr George was on VOB’s Down to Brass Tacks call-in programme reporting that there were 10 cases of vaccinated people in isolation. Then, by Monday, July 26, Head of Infectious Diseases and Isolation Facilities Manager Dr Corey Forde told the country that there were 25 vaccinated people in quarantine.

This caused quite a stir on social media. That was because days before the unvarnished truth was finally told to us, a video was released with a man claiming to be at Harrison Point with his entire family who were also fully vaccinated.

What has not been explained is the necessity to isolate the fully vaccinated, the extent of these so-called breakthrough infections, or whether, as the vaccines promised, no hospitalization was required.

Convenient facts, half-truths and a polished reality cannot work at this critical juncture. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth has to be told. It has to be told freely and willingly. It has to be told without being pulled, tugged and extracted. It has to be told whether or not it is uncomfortable to do so. It must be told whether it lines up with our own personal views or even our national agenda. The truth has to be told, fully and frankly. Only the truth, painful if it must be, will set us free.

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