Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville. Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune staff
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said local officials are examining whether third shots should be made available to Bahamian residents who are immunocompromised and/or over 60 years old.
His announcement comes against the backdrop of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention now authorising booster shots for all adults over 18.
The CDC announced last week that Americans over 50 as well as those 18 and older who live in long-term care facilities “should” get booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. The CDC said all adults over 18 “may” get booster doses.
Recipients of Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose vaccine were already cleared to get a booster at least two months after their initial shot. Officials in the United Kingdom have also cleared the AstraZeneca vaccine as a booster shot.
Dr Darville said yesterday: “We’re looking along with the vaccination committee to move to offer a third dose for individuals who are immunocompromised, while discussions are ongoing with the vaccination committee and the Pan Health American Organisation for the possibility for a third dose for individuals over the age of 60. Even though that is not conclusive, other countries around the world are doing it and The Bahamas needs to take it into consideration.
“We are hoping to jumpstart us in the direction we need to head in with individuals over 60 who qualify, who want it. The report from the CDC was interesting. We have looked at it in our settings, with young adults such as 18-year-olds. We could hold off from them because they seldom go into hospitalisation. They may not need a booster but we would like to target those individuals who have not had any vaccines and to use up the vaccines for third doses when there are other individuals in the country who have not even gotten their first dose, that is the big debate because these vaccines are very precious.
“But with that being said, we have vaccines that––and I don’t like to say this in the public domain because it creates the false impression that it may not be good––that are near expiration or close to expiration. The reality is there are people who need the third dose and there are people who qualify for the third dose and who want it, the question is should we prevent them from getting it, or should we do it simultaneously? I’m of the view that we should go after the third dose as well as target those individuals who have not gotten any.”
Dr Darville said the vaccination committee and Ministry of Health are actively considering making third doses available at least to people who are immunocompromised.
The push for boosters come as infection rates rise in the United States and soar in much of Europe.
Locally, officials are now struggling to get more people to take the vaccine. Elsewhere, officials have used cash or lottery incentives to encourage people to get vaccinated. Research has shown that cash vouchers help support vaccine uptake. Asked yesterday if the government will consider such incentives to get more people vaccinated, Dr Darville said he will look into the matter.
Comments
carltonr61 3 years ago
The French are of the opinion that Covid government response has gone too far. While Fouchee The Little Great is demanding a third shot or you are no longer fully vaccinated. The script has changed away from health to everything covid. Travel covid. Job covid. Soon drivers license covid.
https://sputniknews.com/20211122/we-hav…
carltonr61 3 years ago
https://m.theepochtimes.com/mkt_breakin…
The 55 year wait vaccine secret they are hiding the truth. We know it does not prevent infection according to Gates who now wears a mask.
ted4bz 3 years ago
By now everyone getting themselves shot up knows covid is either a hoax or that something is not right about it. I do not care how scared people are no one can be this scared not to realize one or the next. This has gone from protecting people from a virus to gambling with the personal interest, health, and lives of people in order to get them to accept the jab. The way this game is played is to dangle the interest of the people beyond their reach. If you want to keep what you are doing or want to keep what you have or keep getting more of what you have, then getting shot up with a jab is the only game in town and the only way pass it is to get the shot (until the next shot). Listing their interest at stake is enough to give most people a reason to give up and to give into a shot of no value to them. They will become so desperate that they will be willing to toss their card into the game. So, for whatever reason people are doing this it’s not about a virus it is about securing their individual and personal interest to get the pestering covid cabal off their back so that they can go about their business, well, until the next shot. Rather than to simply resist, do not comply, they play their cards of reason against their freedom, choices, desires, family/social relationships, common sense, health, and yes, even their lives.
carltonr61 3 years ago
Female period unknown. https://m.jpost.com/health-and-wellness…
DDK 3 years ago
Buncha caca!
John 3 years ago
tribanon 3 years ago
LMAO
bcitizen 3 years ago
"It's just a mask." "It's just six feet." "It's just two weeks." "It's just non essential businesses." "It's just non essential workers." "It's just a bar." "It's just a restaurant." "It's just to keep from overwhelming the hospitals." "It's just to make the cases go down." "It's just to flatten the curve." "It's just to keep others from getting scared." "It's just for a few more weeks." "It's just church.” "It's just a bracelet." "It's just an app." "It's just for tracing." "It's just to let others know you're safe to be around." "It's just to let others know who you've been in contact with." "It's just a few more months." " It is just a travel visa" "It's just large gatherings" "It's just a vaccine." "It's just a blood test." "It's just a scan." "It's just for medical information." "It's just a vaccination certificate." "It's just like a credit card." "It's just a few places that don't take cash." "It's just so you can travel." "It's just so you can get your driver's license." "It's just so you can vote." "It's just a few more years." It's just a booster shot" " and on and on we go.
ohdrap4 3 years ago
It's just a vaccine. It's just a booster shot. Every 2 weeks. Lol.
Can someone explain to me how come the booster shot is of another brand?
whogothere 3 years ago
Our lives are evanescent vapors—for all we know, this very night our souls may be asked of us. We can’t keep putting life on hold on hope of a safety paradise. No guarantee it will ever arrive—or that we’ll even still be around if it does.
Non-covid excess deaths (primarily heart attacks at home) in the UK have been trending upwards since April.
I wonder what's been happening that could have caused this? Lockdowns? Vaccine unreported truths? Media Panic? Fear mongering politicians...? All of the above?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl…
carltonr61 3 years ago
Unexplained sudden deaths among other wise healthy persons have shown one thing in common. Each did something up to seven months prior.
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