PM ‘looks on bright side’ in COVID-19 vaccination drive as uptake lags behind expectations

Despite not reaching her weekly target of 10,000 COVID vaccine doses delivered, the Prime Minister on Monday stressed that “close to 60 per cent” of those eligible to receive the shot – 142,543 people – have been given at least one dose.

In a televised press conference from Ilaro Court, Mottley said that despite the high numbers of daily infections seen because of the Delta variant of the virus, weekly vaccination rates have been progressing at a steady rate, with almost all who received the first dose returning for their second jab.

To aid in the current vaccine rollout, she announced the Government will be receiving 7,000 single-dose shots of the Johnson and Johnson-made Janssen vaccine on Tuesday as a gift from the Guyana government. Another 14,000 Pfizer doses are still to be delivered to the island after being purchased through COVAX, the United Nations-led vaccine purchase initiative.

The Prime Minister said: “My friends that is almost 60 per cent of the eligible Barbadians who have taken it.

“Once you have taken that first shot, you have already made up your mind to go along that route, and Major [David] Clarke and Dr [Elizabeth] Ferdinand [the vaccination campaign coordinators] have advised me that virtually 99 per cent of persons who have come for a first jab come back for their second jab. That tells you that Barbadians are serious about this thing, and they are making sure they comply where ever possible.”

The Prime Minister once again ruled out vaccine mandates as she announced new guidelines were coming for the creation of “safe zones” where workers will be required to take the vaccine or undergo testing for the coronavirus at the State’s expense in public institutions.

Declaring that Government fully respected the choice of some Barbadians to choose not to get vaccinated, the administration’s duty is to encourage all citizens to get protected as a matter of importance, as hard stances such as lockdowns have proven ineffective compared to a vaccination dose.

She said: “We have a duty to those people who do not want that thing which is in your body, which may be a virus, coming out and infecting them too, and therefore there has to be a balance with respect to the duty of care we have to all Barbadians.

“Let us be very clear, the lockdown we know does not, did not, and will not work well, and in fact, there is a lot of mental fatigue, not just in Barbados, but across the world. The Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, has indicated that there are a number of other countries that have also indicated that the mental fatigue they have [in the last] 19 to 20 months is making it difficult. We believe that in spite of that, that we have a duty to create a safe place and a safe zone.”

She declared Government would not join the private sector incentivizing workers to get the jab, but said the private sector is free to implement initiatives to encourage their workers protected against the virus.

“Members of the private sector are free to do what they want to do with respect to encouraging persons,” said Mottley. “My own view, is that the greatest incentive for any person is the saving of their lives, and the protecting of those around them. Pope Francis says it’s an act of love, having said that, we are not going to stop the private sector who wants to incentivize.” (SB)