Barbados’ 52 per cent vaccine coverage has put it high among countries in the Eastern Caribbean and French departments with the highest rates of vaccinated people.
As of March 4, Barbados ranked fifth on the list for COVID-19 coverage, trailing Saint Barthelemy where 83 per cent of the population is vaccinated and Anguilla which has a recorded 63 per vaccination. Antigua and Barbuda and the British Virgin Islands have recorded 61 and 57 per cent respectively.
On Barbados’ heels are St Kitts and Nevis which has recorded 49 per cent vaccine rate followed by Dominica at 41 per cent; Guadeloupe at 36 per cent,; Martinique 36 per cent; Montserrat 35 per cent; St Martin 33 per cent; Grenada 33 per cent and St Lucia 28 per cent. These findings were revealed at a media event today at the Accra Beach Resort, where an update on the the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Leveraging Digital Technology to promote COVID-19 was given.
PAHO/WHO and ITC joined efforts on October 25, 2021, to launch a new public health education campaign in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and St Lucia. It was designed to tackle the high level of misinformation referred to as the infodemic about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine hesitancy. Digicel also joined in the effort with the delivery of short key messages via Short Message Service (SMS) and other electronic platforms to the target markets.
During the campaign, the messages provided advice and guidance to debunk misinformation related to COVID-19 vaccines and was provided via videos, social media cards and public service announcements and addressing topics which included how vaccines are developed and how they work, their safety and side effects and benefits.
Approximately two million SMS were sent and 150 000 people received awareness-raising information while 10 000 people watched educational videos.
ITU Area representative, Caribbean Countries, Cleveland Thomas, said the company has leveraged its relationships and resources to apply electronic communications solutions to the negative impact of the infodemic on the people of the Caribbean.
PAHO/WHO’s Representative for Barbados and the EC, Dr Yitades Gebre, said the organisation was pleased to have collaborated with partners in the important campaign as every effort should be made to reach all populations focusing on at-risk and vulnerable groups in an effort to reach at least 70 per cent coverage by July 1.
Dr Gebre said attaining the 70 per cent of populations in every population being vaccinated is necessary to end the pandemic as a global health emergency this year. However, he indicated that only a few countries in the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda included, may be able to reach that target.
He said that while Governments have rolled out plans to get their populations vaccinated, they are fighting against vaccine hesitancy.
“It’s not only educating but providing the right message through the right channel as we have been doing with our partners like Digicel, ITU and others. So, it’s a matter of working harder than what we have been doing and we definitely are going to reach that target if people are receiving the messages appropriately,” Dr Gebre said. (AH)
