A PAN American Health Organisation official has warned that low vaccination coverage in many Caribbean countries must be urgently addressed to stop the spread of COVID-19.
PAHO director Dr Carissa F Etienne added that health care workers and the elderly remain particularly at risk in these countries. Out of the 13 countries and territories in the Americas that have still not reached 40 percent vaccine coverage, 10 are in the Caribbean, Dr Etienne said during a media briefing on Wednesday.
Vaccine hesitancy, a lack of vaccination centres in remote areas, insufficient staff numbers, and limited cold-chain infrastructure remain huge barriers to vaccination in many islands, she said, noting that there were now tools available “to turn the tide on vaccinations in the Caribbean.”
With 700 million people now vaccinated in Latin America and the Caribbean, there are “real-word data to show that vaccines are safe and effective against COVID-19,” the PAHO director said.
However, she said, interventions must now be tailored to the needs of those that remain vulnerable in each country.
In some countries, this means ensuring that health care workers are provided with the information they need to get vaccinated, including on potential side effects and how long the benefits of the vaccine will last.
“These are legitimate questions that must be acknowledged and addressed so that we can better protect our health care workers and everyone else,” Dr Etienne said during the media briefing.
In other countries, PAHO is working with governments to ensure that vaccination centres are closer to the people who need them the most, and that hours of operation are convenient for those who work.
The director also urged countries to work with trusted voices and community leaders to create spaces for dialogue to address concerns around vaccination.
A recent survey by PAHO and UNICEF, supported by USAID, showed that 51 percent of vaccine hesitant people in the Eastern Caribbean were open to changing their minds after seeing more scientific and medical evidence to support vaccination.
“Dialogue, trust and outreach are the tools we must rely on to get more vaccines into arms and ultimately save lives,” the director also said.
Dr Etienne also made a special appeal: “As a doctor from the Caribbean who has dedicated her life to public health, the best decision you can make for your health right now is to get a vaccine against COVID.”
“The pandemic is not over, and a new variant can emerge at any point,” she continued.
“We have the power as a community to overcome these barriers and reduce the toll of this virus on our people.”
Turning to the COVID- 19 situation in the region, new cases declined by 28 percent from the previous week, to 2.2 million. Deaths also fell for the first time since the beginning of the Omicron wave to 29,000 – a 9 percent drop.
Overall cases dropped by a third across North America, and while deaths declined in the United States, the rates remain among the highest seen during the pandemic.
With the exception of Honduras, deaths also dropped by 17 percent in Central America though Nicaragua experienced a surge in new infections.
In South America, deaths decreased by 13 percent, with spikes remaining in some areas, including Chile.
In the Caribbean, new infections fell by 44 percent, yet eight countries and territories reported an increase in deaths.
Comments
professionalbahamian 2 years, 10 months ago
Hmm- doesn’t the science clearly indicated vaccines only help prevent severe outcomes and do nothing to stop the spread... offer to protect the vulnerable, be safe, and get on with life.
whogothere 2 years, 10 months ago
The little good it does fades after max of 6 months and potentially does considerable damage...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a…
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
https://m.theepochtimes.com/scottish-he…
PAHO acts as though the Bahamas is their zone of territory control and we should not see what is in reality actually happening around the world. We were lockstep with the world from 2020 going into covid mad policy as the world retreats from covid vaccination cure mentality of 2020 we are are out of step adjusting with the the global out of covud madness. As if we alone should remain with vaccine mandates and restrictions. Just who benefits from this. The USA is stepping out but CDC keeps the trigger on the lucrative economic lifeline of tourism as we only export beaches and sunshine for survival.
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
It is getting difficult to enforce mask rules in hotels and for global tourists where there is no mandatory mask wearing. Our hospital data is on line with the rest of the world and the tourists wants to know why government control is still being enforced while the rest of the world has adopted a personal risk platform like driving a car. A trip on the road in a car leads to probabilities of nothing happening, someone hits you or you hit someone. Even the vaccinated got sick according to the CDC or as experienced on cruise ships. It was a major blow for pro vaxers and buried by the press.
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
Europe has changed its Covid 70% herd immunity as results show that even after 85% vaccination and up to three revaccinations called boosters covid omicron still got over 59% of the entire population sick both vaccinated and unvaccinated putting herd immunity into the dustbin of scientific myth or just plain lying.
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
100% of WHO/PAHO advise turned out to be wrong on fighting Covid. Vaccine alone was not a cure. Even after four revaccinations called boosters you still could catch covid. Every nation that got +-85% vaccination rate had to shut down because of unknown unknowns like Omicron variant that according to CDC impacted both vaccinated and unvaccinated. CDC and FDA are coming closer at releasing post vaccination data, but they are running for legal shelters.
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