When the “COVID-19 jabs” began at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, on February 5, 2021, The Anguillian newspaper interviewed many persons about their decision to take the AstraZeneca vaccine.
It was found that there was a resounding and unanimous agreement among them that, given the danger of the virus to them, other persons, the economy and the reopening of Anguilla, it was best to take the vaccine. They declared their belief in the research done by the scientists, and some were even convinced that God has a hand in the creation and dispensing of the vaccine.
Here are the comments gleaned by The Anguillian for the national record:
Dr. Clyde Bryan, Chairman of the Health Authority:
We know that the COVID pandemic has been devastating the entire world and, whether we like it or not, Anguilla is the leader in the Caribbean in terms of dealing with this pandemic. We are the only island which has not had any person-to-person spread, other than imported cases. The Ministry of Health and the Health Authority, and also our Premier, who is a doctor, have all pulled together to keep Anguilla COVID-free. We also have the economic challenge. COVID has not only ravaged health across the world, but economies as well. Anguilla is now in a bubble economy and again we are leading the Caribbean in that aspect as well.
I believe we are in a position in Anguilla to continue to ensure that we have no local spread and to get our economy back up and running. I believe that this is a patriotic duty and I am willing to ask not what my country can do for me, but what I can do for my country. So I am taking the vaccine.
Keith (Stone) Greaves, Radio Journalist:
I think this vaccine is great for Anguilla and for the world. I encourage all the people of Anguilla to register and
get vaccinated. We are dealing with a global pandemic. This is not a joke. It is serious business. I know some people have some reservations about taking the COVID vaccine, but I think that we have to be sensible. We have to do what is right for our people and our country. So I am fully on board with the entire vaccination programme and my appeal to persons – and I have said this on my Radio Talk programmes – is to get vaccinated. We are dealing with very serious business.
Mr. Fritz Smith, former Chairman of the Health Authority:
This is a very serious thing and my being here today is because Anguilla has a very limited health staff. If there is a very serious COVID case, and the person has to be isolated, one doctor has to take care of that person. It means that the doctor too has to be isolated. It is that serious. Any time, God forbid, that we have a case in Anguilla, and some staff have to go in the isolation unit, they cannot attend to the rest of the island. That is what we are facing and, to me, that is serious. So I am taking the vaccine for Anguilla.
The Rt. Rev. L. Errol Brooks:
What is happening here with the COVID-19 vaccine is very serious and I think it is very fitting that we should avail ourselves of the opportunity to get the vaccine. We have seen what has happened over the past couple of months – thousands upon thousands of persons have died from the virus.
We need to understand that God has instilled, in humankind, the knowledge and the expertise to help with the healing of the nations. We should respect the views of the scientists and we must also have faith. But don’t just rely on faith. God wants us to cooperate with Him and I believe that scientists and doctors, and all others in the medical field, are God’s ministers seeking to bring about healing in our communities. So I encourage all of us, once the opportunity is there for us to get the vaccine, to avail ourselves of that benefit. Who knows – may be later on people may have to pay for the vaccine.
Pastor Hugo Brooks, World Harvest Church:
I think it is a great and positive day for us in Anguilla to be able to have the vaccine, and I encourage all Anguillians, everywhere, to take hold of this opportunity.
As we listened to the news, we hear about the many persons who lost their lives to COVID-19. There seems to be no end in sight, but here in Anguilla we are blessed, having been given the opportunity to have the vaccine. I think that everybody should take the treatment.
Former Minister of Government, Mr. Edison Baird:
My presence here is indicative of my position. I believe it is necessary that every Anguillian should take this vaccine. It is very unfortunate that we have people out there who are making remarks that are discouraging other persons from taking the vaccine.
We are not guinea pigs. This has been tested in Europe and other countries; and what we are being offered – and some people are rejecting – there are many people in Africa and other sections of the world who would be glad to have this vaccine. So we should grasp this vaccine with two hands – especially in light of the fact that Anguilla will sink or float depending on tourism. You have to interact with tourists and, if we are secured, we can better interact with them.
We can’t force people to take the vaccine, but my advice is that every Anguillian should take it.
Pastor Gareth Hodge, Hilltop Baptist Church:
The problem is the misinformation that is out there. Everybody who is not a medical expert or scientist can get on YouTube and put up anything. I understand people have concerns and you cannot condemn them, but let us go back to the facts and here what they say.
Right now, in Anguilla, imagine that only ten percent of the workers at the hotels signed up to take the vaccine. They are some of the people in the most vulnerable area so we need to understand what is at stake here.
People should stop listening to all kinds of fearmongering reports and let us understand that the world is rid of polio through vaccines; and everybody who is discrediting vaccines, have already had six or seven vaccines – and this is why they are alive today.
Mrs. Marilyn Hodge of Positive Living:
I think today is indeed a great day. If we want to use the Biblical way, it is like we are going through the Red Sea and God has given us an opportunity to come through safely on the other side.
So I am asking all my fellow Anguillians, and other residents, to come out and get protected. Much more than the economy is at stake at this time. Protect yourself and your families. Once we do that, we will indeed protect the economy and the entire island.
I appeal to you to let us ask God to give us wisdom and understanding to do the right thing.
Former Premier, Mr. Victor Banks:
We have gone through a lot over the last nine months and we know how dangerous the COVID pandemic is. We have seen [in other countries] the deaths that have resulted from it. We know that the only way to deal with contagious diseases, like this, is to get the vaccine in place.
The question, that occupies the minds of a lot of persons, is whether or not the vaccine is going to do what it says it is going to do – and because of the speed that science has advanced over the years, we have been able to get the vaccine much quicker than in the past. So this created some suspicion but the basic thing is – we will not be able to return to a position of normalcy unless we vaccinate as many people as possible with the vaccine that can do the job. And the risks of not being vaccinated are much greater. In my estimation, the best risk is to be vaccinated. That is a matter of opinion, and everybody is entitled to respond to some of the things he or she hears in the social media – and some of the experiences they have had historically.
At the end of the day, it is important that we recognise what we are doing here. Even though it is on a personal level – it helps the campaign to eradicate the COVID disease world-wide. This is a good start in Anguilla. I, personally, do not need any encouragement. I hope that a number of us, who are leaders in the community, will come forward to take the vaccine. It may encourage some people to believe what we, as their leaders, think is important.
Pastor Philip Gumbs, Church of God (Holiness):
I think it is a significant moment for Anguilla. I appreciate the fact that the Government is cognizant that we have
to do something about this pandemic; and also the fact that there are persons who have concerns. The public consultations, where people have been encouraged to submit their questions, are like putting the right foot forward.
God works directly by His power – and He also uses people. At times there are mistakes by doctors, but God uses human agencies to show His love to bring healing and relief to individuals. We trust that this vaccine will be one of the ways.
Mr. Cardigan Connor, former Parliamentary Secretary:
I think health comes first and that has been proven worldwide
. Every country in the world has suffered because of COVID-19. Sometimes we take things for granted – like freedom of movement that we have had for a long time. Now, all of a sudden, instead of a just-localised hurricane or earthquake, the COVID pandemic has hit world-wide.
For us, here in Anguilla, I think our first priority is to make sure that people are safe and then we can look forward to getting our economy back in place. We hope that the COVID vaccination will be a great help for our health.
Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, Leader of the Opposition:
I think the UK Government has worked well along with our local Government in ensuring that vaccines are available in Anguilla for our people. I think that we have been very comfortable over the last year, or so, in relation to our borders being closed. We are walking around and sitting next to each other without wearing masks and social distancing etc.
I think when you look at the availability of testing kits, in the near future, that we may well come to a point where we are unable to test people when they arrive on the island. So we have to be prepared for the eventuality that COVID will come to our shores, and we all have to make sure that we are vaccinated.
Mr. Jose Vanterpool, Island-wide Elected Representative:
I think we have done a good job so far in maintaining our relatively COVID-free status. For that, I have to commend the past and current administrations, as well as all the frontline healthcare workers, and the establishments, that put the protocols in place and helped us to maintain our status until this point. But, as we know, Anguilla cannot continue to sustain itself…with this partial border closure. The tourism sector will not be able to maintain itself with this 14-day quarantine period, so we have to take further mechanisms to safeguard ourselves and our communities so that we can continue to maintain our COVID-free status.
The fact that we have the vaccine presents an opportunity for us to protect ourselves so that when we come into contact with the virus, its effects on our health are minimised. It is my hope that persons, who watch us take the vaccine, will see that it is safe; that it will not have any [bad] effects; that it will encourage them to register and take the vaccine; get our health protected and help to get our economy fully-reopened. We have to thank the UK Government for its assistance.
Mr. Kenneth Hodge, Minister of Home Affairs:
Today is a good day for Anguilla. It is the day when we take back the narrative that has been shaped for us for so many months by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we take the step of taking back our freedom; our ability to open up our economy; and to guarantee more jobs. We now have to reshape the narrative of moving forward in terms with this vaccine.
Click on the link for part 2 –
Editor’s note:
This is perhaps the longest commentary article ever published in The Anguillan newspaper. It places on the national record, or in Anguilla’s archives, the comments of a number of persons on what is probably the biggest social and economic threat in the island’s history; and how Anguillians, known for their boldness, independent spirit, and resilience, responded to it, without actually knowing what the real outcome would be.
Nat Hodge
Publisher/Editor
