In the Government’s weekly press conference of Monday, February 1st, officials in the Ministry of Health were once again adamant about the importance of the population buying into taking the opportunity to be inoculated against COVID-19, through taking the much talked about vaccine.
It would appear that until the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines actually gets underway — hopefully within a relatively short time frame — discussions on the benefits of the vaccination will remain a centre stage point of interest for the Government of Anguilla.
Premier Ellis Webster, who is the Minister of Health, made it clear as he reiterated the fact that there is no other way to resume regular economic activity unless at least 70% of the population is vaccinated. To that end, as he did last week, he made a concerted appeal to all residents of Anguilla to get vaccinated for the protection of themselves and their loved ones.
The Premier pointed out: “Everyone knows by now that only the vaccine can get us to a state of maintaining good health nowadays and resuming our economic progress. We are spreading the word that registration is open for the vaccine and we are encouraging everyone who is eligible to register for it. This means that everyone eighteen years and older, and anyone who is not pregnant, should get registered to take the Astra-Zeneca vaccine.”
However, the Premier was quick to explain that even if one has allergies to medication it does not mean that the vaccine cannot be taken. “Once you register,” he said, “you will be assessed, and if it is determined that you can’t take it, then that will be the case, but certainly there is no egg products or latex in these vaccinations.” The Premier said close to two thousand persons have already signed up for the vaccination.
“We really would like to vaccinate about 12,600 persons overall,” he said. “The first batch will be 8,000 doses which will be coming from the UK this week. We anticipate another 7,500 doses within the next few weeks. If we get between 7,500 to 8,000 persons vaccinated from the first batch, then we will certainly get the required amount sent to cover the second doses.”
The Premier noted that the vaccine is scheduled to arrive on the island this week. He said that there will be three stations at which it will be administered: The Princess Alexandra Hospital, the Welches Polyclinic and the new South Hill Polyclinic.
The Parliamentary Secretary, Mrs. Quincia Gumbs-Marie, stated: “We are putting all of our efforts into striving to get at least 70% of our population vaccinated. Our quasi-government bodies, such as the Anguilla Tourist Board, are working along with us in educating the general public about the vaccines. We are asking that persons join up with about five other people and register. At this point, doing this can be considered as your patriotic duty.”
She continued by listing the adverse effects that the pandemic has had so far on the Anguillian society: “People may think that because we have not had any community spread that the effects of COVID-19 on Anguilla are not real. But you just have to look at the month-to-month figures in the Ministry of Finance. The under performance of the economy is directly linked to COVID-19; so is the limited availability of jobs; so is the increase in abuse of the vulnerable; so are mental health issues, and the like.”
She continued: “If we are going to consider the conspiracies against the vaccine we must most certainly consider the truth about the benefits of the vaccine, and how it is meant to protect against COVID-19 and resuscitate our economy. We are asking the public to approach this issue with an open mind and understand the importance of this vaccine. Our theme ‘Vaccinate For You, Me and The Economy’ is not just a line that rhymes, but it is literally how we will get past these woes.”
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Aisha Andrewin, was also on hand to appeal to the general population to take the vaccination. She noted: “Everybody now, at every juncture, is screaming out for normalcy. There is a certain sense of urgency. This is a great opportunity for us in Anguilla, and for the world, to regard the vaccine as the path towards normalcy.”
She observed that just last August, the Director of the World Health Organisation stressed that at that juncture, because there was no cure in sight, it was all about isolation, quarantine, testing and contract tracing. “We were doing all of that extremely well, and we continue to do so,” she said. “However, it is amazing to note that just a few months later, we now have candidates who will be taking the COVID-19 vaccine, since there is no definite cure.”
Dr. Andrewin stated that it is necessary for the Health Authority of Anguilla to know how many persons would have registered for the vaccine, because they would need to make regular adjustments and set appointments for the administration: “In terms of who has registered for the vaccine,” she said, “if you are interested, and most likely to register, please do so because we need to know the numbers. Every time we look at the numbers, we have to tweak and make plans, and figure out how we are going to space out people for each day, and at which locations we will send them for administering of the vaccine.”
Permanent Secretary of Health, Mr. Foster Rogers, was quick to comment on what will not happen as a result of taking the vaccine: “1. The vaccine will not alter your DNA or change your genetic composition. It will not, nor it cannot. 2. The vaccine will not infect you with COVID-19 because it does not contain the coronavirus. 3. There is no hidden 666 scheme in the vaccine. It will not put microchips in your body, and you won’t be tracked or traced through it. 4. The vaccine will not make females sterile. It is simply something that that solicits an immune response. It has nothing to do with reproduction.”
Further, Mr. Rogers sought to allay the fears of immigrants who might be residing on the island without proper legal documentation. He vowed: “We will not report your immigration status to the Department of Immigration. That is not our objective. As long as you are a resident of Anguilla, as long as you are in this community, you need to consider taking the vaccine.”
– Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
