THE ARRIVAL of the next batch of 33,600 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine yesterday. Pictured meeting the shipment at Jet Aviation are chair of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, right, and manager of the National Immunisation Programme Nurse Ruth Bastian, left. Photo: Kristaan Ingraham/BIS
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THIRTY-THREE thousand six hundred doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived in New Providence yesterday, boosting the country’s fight against the potentially deadly virus even though many residents remain hesitant to get the jab.
Yesterday’s arrival means 86,600 doses of the vaccine have been in the country to date, including 20,000 donated by the government of India and 66,000 obtained through the World Health Organisation’s COVAX Facility.
After months of struggling to get vaccines, officials now face a new challenge as vaccine supplies outweigh demand.
National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee deputy chair Ed Fields said on Monday that more will be done to boost vaccine intake as he acknowledged demand has flattened.
Yesterday former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said more infomercials and town halls are needed to encourage immunisation. He also said officials should open the process up so primary care doctors could administer vaccines.
“We need to be moving the vaccination process into the hands of people’s primary care doctors,” he said. “There is a significant trust that is intrinsic or implicit in the relationship between primary care doctors and their patients. That’s already well established and we may be able to use that to our advantage.
“There are many countries that are finding out that when you include the primary care physicians with the appropriate controls, that people are more willing to be vaccinated. You may add another ten percent, another 15 percent, but we’d like to get to the point where we have a number of people who are vaccinated so that there is a significantly smaller population of at-risk individuals in The Bahamas.”
Highlighting the seriousness of COVID-19, Dr Sands said he operated on three coronavirus patients yesterday and performed about eight procedures in the last seven days.
He said: “It’s nice to have more (vaccines) than you need in the short-term but certainly we need more vaccines, hey? We need to have hopefully several hundred thousand more doses and then double down on our efforts to engage the hesitant population, understand their concerns, dialogue with them and try and persuade people to get vaccinated, particularly given the challenge of the number of cases that we have, proximity to Florida in particular but the United States in general and the simple fact that the battle comes down to variants versus vaccines with the backdrop of making sure we have the public health measures in place all the time.
“As long as you have a significant population where the vaccine can spread you then provide a perfect petri dish for new variants to form. I understand that people are concerned, they’re worried, they’re afraid, they have some deep-seated issues and reluctance, and we shouldn’t be dismissive of that. We ought to understand their concerns and almost by a one-by-one outreach encourage people to take that plunge and take that step. It’s one of the reasons why I have completed my two shots. I am very much aware that there is a possibility that a third shot may be called for.”
Visit vax.gov.bs to make a vaccine appointment.
Comments
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
https://sputniknews.com/europe/202105...">https://sputniknews.com/europe/202105...
The Nation of Sweden is talking to The Bahamian people.
DWW 2 years, 11 months ago
we don't need russian hacks telling us what to do thank you very much.
JokeyJack 2 years, 11 months ago
Vaccines reach? Bush crack patients gone.
benniesun 2 years, 11 months ago
From this quote the solution to preventing new variants is obvious; either get rid of the significant population or stop the vaccine.
DWW 2 years, 11 months ago
I see you have been studying Epidemiology for the past 15 years and a leading expert. thank you for chiming in.
Sickened 2 years, 11 months ago
Did they both to strap it down before they took off on our unsafe streets?
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
OMG! Just what we need. More vaccines kept out in the hot sun for a photo op instead of immediated being taken to a very cold storage place.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
Repost from yesterday re. Sands
Sands is certainly continuing to 'stick it but good' to Minnis with all of his scaremongering in the run up to the national general election that he knows Minnis is under considerable pressure to soon announce. And Sands obviously refuses to accept that the State of Florida has ended up being a major success story in how to go about balancing the health and economic risks associated with the Wuhan Virus and its ever increasing number of variants.
I suspect Sands may be watching too much politically motivated MSNBC rubbish because even CNN is now finally acknowledging that there's no need for mask wearing outdoors because transmission rates of the Wuhan Virus and its variants are so low outdoors due to, among other things, the UV radiation in sunlight. And health authorities around the world are now in general agreement that transmission rates are highest indoors in more confined and less well ventillated spaces. One thing is for sure, Sands like Minnis, has proven that medical doctors are usually bereft of the essential qualities and charateristics required of a good political leader.
DWW 2 years, 11 months ago
this guy is a stunning genius. wheres the nobel committee when you need them.
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
Are you referring to Minnis, Sands or me? If me, I'm tickled. lol
WETHEPEOPLE 2 years, 11 months ago
Im sure there is a vast number of bahamians who dont even know what a primary care physician is, much less having one. So if thats the plan, good luck getting that elephant out the door. Truth is most Bahamians dont want your vaccines right now, and alot probably never will, so can we get on with life.
DWW 2 years, 11 months ago
when people see that the vaccinated are living while the anti's are dying maybe they will come around. Have you seen the rush to get the jook in the US when people realized what was actually happening and stopped listening to the russian/chinese mafia hacks?
tribanon 2 years, 11 months ago
I hope you're not getting a lot of news from the wrong places. They're now finding out a whole lot more about certain of these vaccines, and the findings are rightfully causing concern for the many who are not inclined to get jabbed with them, at least not at this time.
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
I thought viruses that attack humans or animals needed a live host. Is the doctor saying the right thing. Petri dish. In college we grew bacteria specimens.
As long as you have a significant population where the vaccine can spread you then provide a perfect petri dish for new variants to form. I understand that people are concerned, they’re worried, they’re afraid, they have some deep-seated
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
OK he is saying Bahamians are the virile host petri dish. So when did UB scientist become trained in genome sequencing or dies Doctors Hospital have the machine? Our truth rubberband Covid talking heads are trying to convince us of deadly strains attacking young people. But they have stopped telling us that some young people are obese, diabetic and have underlying comorbidities. After all The Bahamas has the highest number of heath challenged young individuals outside of USA. I have not read science that said healthy young people are dying from Covid. Imagine all stakeholders in the vaccine industry raking in billions for vaxing the world four times a year. Welcome to the 2022.
WETHEPEOPLE 2 years, 11 months ago
“The government has decided that the AstraZeneca vaccine will not be used in Norway, also not on a voluntary basis. The rare but serious effects we have seen in Norway show that the risk does not outweigh the benefit,” Solberg said
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
https://m.vz.ru/news/2021/5/12/109888...">https://m.vz.ru/news/2021/5/12/109888...
UN Secretary General: Recognition of "Sputnik V" will solve the problem of vaccination May 12, 2021, 21:32 3 The process of recognition by the World Health Organization (WHO) of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus is underway, said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, noting that the organization would welcome the recognition of the drug.
“We really appreciate that the Russian Federation has provided the opportunity to vaccinate the UN staff with Sputnik V. This is a very good sign. We believe that "the V Sputnik" - it is also one of the key elements that will help to solve the problem of vaccination, "- said Guterres after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, transfersRIA Novosti .
Earlier, WHO expert Marianjela Simao said that the World Health Organization (WHO) expects to assess the safety of the Russian vaccine against the Sputnik V coronavirus at the end of June-July.
As a reminder, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed interest in the widespread use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine during the talks with Vershinin
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
A one time vaccine Sputnik V. Zero side effects. But no money for medical profiteers like our crooks here.
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
https://www.rt.com/russia/523652-un-s...">https://www.rt.com/russia/523652-un-s...
United Nations demand WHO to approve Sputnik V to save the world, and Bahamian lives. Stop the AZ garbage please.
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