Officials ‘astonished by high uptake of third COVID shot’

Thousands of fully vaccinated people across Barbados have surprised officials by turning up at inoculation sites in growing numbers for a third shot in the arm against COVID-19.

Joint Coordinator of the National Vaccination Programme Major David Clarke conceded on Friday he did not expect this development to occur but believes people might be trying to ensure they are as safe as possible from the ravages of the disease and more particularly, the highly infectious and deadly Delta variant.

Major Clarke said that in the space of a few weeks, just over 7,000 people who were eligible for boosters following the six-month waiting period received their third shots.

“We are seeing a good uptake in the boosters. We have done in terms of boosters for the month of November we have done 7, 309 people. So in the space of two weeks 7,309 people got booster shots,” he told Barbados TODAY.

He explained that different numbers of people would now be eligible for boosters having had their second vaccine in April and May.

“In terms of second doses, we started giving in April when we gave 16,000 in May we gave 45,000 second doses. So it would only be as the people are eligible. So the 16,000 would be eligible for boosters. And then going forward the next batch would be 45,500 then it would be 10,336, then 4,000, then 15,000, then 1,400 then the numbers fall off,” Major Clarke revealed.

“It is very interesting that people just came for boosters; lots of people were asking for boosters all the time; so it is very interesting that people came out and took the boosters. Once people are fully vaccinated, you wouldn’t have thought that that many people would have come for boosters.”

He interpreted this development as a case in which the ones who got vaccinated want to be as safe as possible “and the ones who ain’t want it, ain’t want it”.

Major Clarke disclosed that early boosters were not even in his plan.

He said: “Technically in my plan, I didn’t have giving boosters until January after I had done all the second doses, but we had the vaccines so we could have afforded to do it. But the theory is that you should really have vaccinated the country first before we started boosters. Most of the people who have been vaccinated are now checking the dates to see if they are eligible for the boosters.”

The vaccination campaign coordinator also revealed that officials are now seeing an emerging category of people coming forward for their first dose.

He told Barbados TODAY: “I think we are in the category of people who are on the fence, who…there is no real reason why they are on the fence…if they wake up and they feel like it, they come. Honestly, most of the people I talk to are saying they got up and decided to come today. They didn’t decide yesterday. So we are in an interesting area.

“I think we can try all the marketing, but I think there are people who will come in their own time. I think that is the group we are in now, besides the hesitant ones, but there is a group of people who are not opposed to vaccines, but will come in their own time.”

Major Clarke said the overall uptake of vaccinations was slow but sure while suggesting that there could be a sudden rise in the coming weeks particularly with the possibility of people travelling overseas.

He said: “As more countries and airlines require you to get vaccinated, I think you will see anybody who wants to leave these shores will definitely get vaccinated. A number of people have come and said they want to travel, so they come to get vaccinated, and they only getting it because you have to get it to travel.”

Major Clarke said the numbers are slowing moving up daily in terms of first doses, pointing out that the Pfizer vaccine continues to be the most sought-after vaccine.

“At present, the Pfizer is the one that most people have done. We have done 1,600 first doses so far, followed by the AstraZeneca which we have done four hundred and something for the month, and then followed by Sinopharm which is 59,” he told Barbados TODAY.

But the newly introduced, single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine is not doing well, as reported by Major Clarke.

“We didn’t have that many takers [this week], I could only see 400 people taking it and half of those are probably shut-ins that we did before. There has not been a big, big up-take,” he said.

As of Friday, about 65 per cent of the eligible population has received first doses and 56 per cent the second dose of the COVID-19 jab. (EJ)