Vaccine and booster still critical

Even though the number of persons testing positive for COVID-19 has been falling in recent weeks, Co-coordinator of the National Vaccination Programme Dr Elizabeth Ferdinand is urging Barbadians to get their vaccines and boosters to protect them against serious illness if they contract the virus.

The Barbados COVID-19 Situation Report shows that 56.5 per cent of the country’s total population is fully vaccinated, while 71.2 per cent of the eligible population have received one dose, and 67 per cent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated.

Dr Ferdinand encouraged the eligible, but unvaccinated to get their first dose, and those fully vaccinated to get their booster.

“If they have already been vaccinated they need to get their booster. And for those who have not been vaccinated at all, we suggest they should come and get their vaccines. Yes, the cases have come down a lot, but we are still getting cases which means the virus is still very active, still in Barbados. And although we have gone a long way in reducing the restrictions, the virus is here and circulating and you can get COVID,” she said.

The Public Health Specialist noted that there are those who have refrained from getting the vaccine due to religion, some people are afraid to get it, and there are those who do not see the need to get it.

However, Dr Ferdinand said officials continue to push the message regarding the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“People have to believe that the vaccine does not do them any harm, and that it is good for them not necessarily not to catch the disease, but at least not to make it more serious, or even to progress to death. We have to keep on educating and advising people on the good of the vaccine. At the moment we have enough vaccines. There are vaccines available on the island,” she said.

Dr Ferdinand also explained that plans to take the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ mobile vaccination bus to schools to vaccinate eligible students whose parents have given consent had to be put on hold to accommodate ongoing Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examinations.

“We cannot go to the schools because of examinations. So we are waiting on the Ministry of Education to tell us on which date we can go ahead. There is one school that we have already made a date for, but we have to wait for the others to come forward.

“Some parents have gone ahead and taken their children to the vaccination sites but there are some that are still on the list as far as I know, but I haven’t seen the list, they are working on it,” Dr Ferdinand said. (AH)