By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
Paediatric doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will arrive on Saturday and could be administered in the Bahamas as early as Monday, Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville announced.
He said that vaccinations would be voluntary and not mandatory.
“The paediatric vaccine is on its way,” he said in Grand Bahama during an Appreciation Dinner on Thursday evening to thank the 60 volunteers and healthcare workers for their commitment in the battle against the COVID pandemic since the outbreak in March 2020.
Minister Darville said the vaccine will arrive in Nassau on Saturday at 10am.
“I am excited because Gina and I were in Geneva and struggled to get this vaccine, and the vaccine will be here,” he said.
In June, Dr Darville announced that the Bahamas had secured 20,000 paediatric doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine following negotiations between the government and the World Health Organization (WHO) subsidiary for the acquisition of the doses.
The doses are for children aged 5 to 11 years.
Pfizer is the only vaccine approved for children. In May 2021, it received the US Food and Drug Agency’s (FDA) emergency use authorization for children 12 to 17 years. In October, it received the authorization for use in children five to 11 years after safety trials in 3,100 children in that age range. The FDA had reported that “no serious” side effects were detected.
While speaking in Freeport, Minister Darville said: “This vaccine is not mandatory; this vaccine is completely voluntary for our children, and for us who want our children to have the vaccine.
"We are not pushing this down anyone’s throat,” he said. “For those who want it, it is our responsibility (as) the government to bring it, and we intend to start vaccinating our paediatric doses the following Monday.”
Mr Darville commended the volunteers for helping to vaccinate citizens.
“We need to give it up for our vaccination crew,” he said. “I could go on and on to cite examples of your volunteerism. You operate from a gift of love.”
The minister shared his near-death ordeal after contracting COVID-19, which allowed him as a doctor to be more sensitive to patients and to appreciate healthcare workers for what they do.
“I had COVID, and I almost died of COVID. I was in the Intensive Care Unit, and I blacked out while in the emergency room, only to wake up in the ICU… confused, not certain where I was, and realized I was still alive.
“It actually changed my life. Sickness, death, and dying change your whole perspective on life. But, I was fortunate enough to survive,” said Dr Darville, who spent ten days in ICU and lost 40 pounds.
“I was very weak and fragile, probably the weakest I have been in my life,” he recalled.
Dr Darville thanked the nurses who took care of him after he collapsed on the bathroom floor. He also thankful to his family for nursing him back to health after being discharged from the hospital.
Dr Darville said he had suffered a relapse to long COVID, experiencing various symptoms, including heart palpitations, neurological symptoms, and a deficit in cognitive skills.
“I was not clear, and I was like that for six months after being discharged,” he explained, adding that it was challenge for him even after he had returned to his duties as a Senator in the Senate.
“And so, the reason I want to bring it up is that there is this thing that is real in the country called long COVID, and it has affected many Bahamians who were infected. And we want to bring it to the forefront and start to do something about it in our health cases. We must!”
The health minister urged volunteers and health care workers that there is will more work ahead.
“So, it is not business as usual. This is a very serious job, and as you begin to do it, I want you to do it with an open mind, and be very vigilant.
“We are not in the government to really award you with all of the monetary support that you truly need, but we felt it would be neglectful for us if we do not bring you together as a team, and to say thank you.
“Thank you for what you have done, thank you for your commitment, thank you for your community service,” he said.
“Thank you for the gift of love, for your dedication, for helping those who could not have helped themselves. And, for clarity in the midst of confusion at a time when our country was in turmoil. Thank you for...where we are today.”
He also thanked the Ministry of Health professionals, including Gina Archer, Dr Danny Davis, Dr Frank Bartlett, head of COVID19 Taskforce in Grand Bahama; Hospital Administrator Sharon Williams, and Principal Nursing Officer Cheryl Bain.
Also in attendance was Obie Wilchcombe, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development. He said that volunteers and healthcare workers are the real “heroes and heroines” on the frontline of the coronavirus.
Dr Darville observed a moment of silence for the nurses, doctors, and others who died of COVID-19.
Comments
carltonr61 2 years, 5 months ago
Ok. Now the show begins. Let's see them line up their grand children first beginning with WHO then doctors who administer the shots. By September it will probably be mandatory to enter schools. Into three years of covid the children lived. That the so called vaccines, a leaky covid transmitter will enter homes and stores through children we will see massive waves of flu like symptoms in October. POTUS Biden, was replayed on MSM while promising the world that once vaccinated there is no chance of getting sick during an interview with Fauci who then ran around the Moon, Mars as the question burnt like he had touched the Sun. Herd immunity was a lie used to control and enforce nations strangulation. As in Bidens and millions of others the vaccine mandate us also proven to be all hype and hot air with zero health benefits except profits for the medical engineers and WHO personnel who will secretly in ocular children in school. We still don't know WHO statement on our excessively high autism rate in The Bahamas during the past ten years. Are we taking safe vaccines? There was never a long term study on child covid shot only a trust in science that it is safe. Even before man went to the moon a monkey was tested in space. Science has turned into medical corporate dangerous dictatorship that profits immediately before safety. Vaccines were made, paid for then tested. Sames to be wrong way around. After Fauci's long winded run around the universe he still could not answer, "Does the vaccine work?" Saying it helps if you suffer high blood pressure, diabetes old age infirmities or obesity does not apply to children. Vaccines are now agents of help if you have those medical conditions and a zero source of prevention with hidden dangers to human DNA and heart as explained by results the world over.
CoolCatBD 2 years, 5 months ago
I think it should be a Family Fun Day, the grandparents get the Vax shots, then they take the grandchildren, out for ice cream!
whatsup 2 years, 5 months ago
You are a special kind of stupid to say that with all the info available now
CoolCatBD 2 years, 5 months ago
So you are pro kid vax, I am not. The vax should be adult only!!!
CoolCatBD 2 years, 5 months ago
Will The Bahamas use the Pfizer Kids vaccine, two-shot plan or the three-shot plan?
If an adult, that can feel their protection fading, who is fully Vax and fully boosted, and has to wait another two months, for a full dose of vaccine, if a child doesn't show up, for their appointment, so it doesn't go to waste, can the adult get the kids shot has a little top up?
ohdrap4 2 years, 5 months ago
They have excess vaccines. Just hang out at the center and get the leftover at the end of the day.
carltonr61 2 years, 5 months ago
Is this kids shot the USA or some other so said other country made? Anyone could give WHO meds.
carltonr61 2 years, 5 months ago
WHO has weoponized fear with military historical deadly precision for control.
carltonr61 2 years, 5 months ago
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lani…
Lancet. The greatest science to date says child vaccination should be lead by science.
A must read for WHO, who seems to have hidden their heads somewhere dark.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 5 months ago
I congratulate the minister for speaking candidly about his illness and very happy that he came through the ordeal, we've lost too many. A few months ago though, both he and Chester Cooper were doing all they could to convince the country that COVID was gone. Even when 50 persons were admitted to hospital, a dramatic rise from the COVID is gone 7, he tried to convince the public that there was no spike, that these admissions were people suffering from other conditions who just happened to have COVID.
COVID gone or COVID not gone isnt really the issue for me at this point, just tell the truth and stop with the tourism is god narrarives. This is public health after all
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 5 months ago
This is what I mean about telling the truth.
Just read a few minutes ago that yesterday, the WHO declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international health concern. And the Director gave this as part of his statement
Cnn.com: "Tedros added that while he was declaring monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, "For the moment this is an outbreak that's concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those who have multiple partners, that means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right right groups.""
This is sickening and no, not for what you think I mean. A few weeks ago there was a GLOBAL push to deliberately IGNORE the fact that the spread was among gay men. All statements about the demographics of monkeypox infection were sanitized and then just like COVID, ALL of the local media fell in lock stock and barrel to spread the propaganda.
I couldnt believe it when our leading infectious disease expert completely glossed over the incidence concentration and the media host fell right in line. And this was after years of the exact same phenomenon in COVID, bowing to any position the CDC took, calling local doctors giving evidence based concerns quacks and citizens raising concerns conspiracy theorists
It was amazing to me that a disease spreading based on "elective" behaviour was completely ignoring the description of who was exhibiting the behaviour
Facts are what they are, sometimes they can be scary but hiding the truth does noone any good. In this case it most likely caused some gay men to continue to indulge in risky behaviour because the entire health community failed them. Now that they've given the disease the opportunity to spread it will likely reach bisexual men, then heterosexual men and women.
Our local media really needs to start thinking independently
ohdrap4 2 years, 5 months ago
I told Tal Russell weeks ago not to attend sex orgies to avoid monkey pox.
People will not be taken for fools so soon after the covid lockdowns.
The local reporters tho, are affected by their own cultural and social norms that you do not raise voice to "authorities".
Just observe on an every day basis people talking fool from the pulpit, from the board room , from govt sources. Not only we listen to it, they write it down and publish it.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 5 months ago
Well I think Tal must have taken your advice! He hasnt missed a day of this sideline reporting due to itchy hands.
But seriously, the news reported today that two children were infected. Once children get infected with a contagious disease it's basically game over. They're cute travelling petri dishes
JokeyJack 2 years, 5 months ago
Exactly. They are doing a great job of convincing the public not t9 believe a word they say.
carltonr61 2 years, 5 months ago
Oh*! Thisis@ you really thought that one through. Next WHO will use the media to weapons fear toward profits for medical. So sad when the pharmaceutical industrial complex can buy the media and US presidency.
Twocent 2 years, 5 months ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIFSvnB… The New England Journal of Medicine published a recent study which, when read carefully, scientifically, and with discernment is pretty clear about the risks and reason why such pediatric vaccination is UNSCIENTIFIC and only used to promote another agenda!
Twocent 2 years, 5 months ago
As to the vaccinated Ministers near death experience….many unvaccinated people have had Covid and breezed through it like a cold. (Particularly children and young adults) His experience says most about his own poor state of of health and the uselessness of his vaccination. At least he was honest so that the rest of us can see how useless the vaccine is, despite what he has to say to keep his job and PAHO happy.
Twocent 2 years, 5 months ago
“Long Covid”…..suddenly the health authorities are concerned about chronic illness ROL! Vaccination itself causes a huge burden of inflammatory and autoimmune disease which they have conveniently ignored because it’s a health burden with no nefarious motive and fear mongering tactic! In fact if the vaccine adverse reaction data base was fully transparent and honest we would be in panic, as they already are, over the future burden of serious chronic I’ll health. Statistics already show what we are facing and anyone with inflammation and autoimmune disease already knows the suffering to come.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 5 months ago
The sad part is because they seemingly and deliberately refused to track persons receiving the vaccine and ill effects possibly caused by the vaccine, we'll never know either way. Failed us and failed us again
GodSpeed 2 years, 5 months ago
clot shot for the kids too!
carltonr61 2 years, 5 months ago
@twocents. The mRNA enters human genetic codes to produce spike proteins forevermore. The know this but call it Ling Covid. Vaccinated humans producing covid spikes, re sicking themselves every other month with a genetically new varient, shedding through breath to vaccinated persons whise immunity system is now fully open and exposed to this new invader. Unvaccinated persons natural immunity protects fill 360 degrees while vaccinated persons immunity is narrowed and gard wired to 2019 spike protein mRNA injection. THAT is why Biden got sick. No one around him got sick so his body is generating and pumping new variants that are immune to all genetic code regeneration, protein genesis spike boosters he got inoculated with to date. Fortunately the spike proteins which are dead, are too large to enter human cells in order to reproduce and there are Inhibitors that prevent the protein Protease from dividing enabling it to then enter. The Protease Inhibitor that is being pushed by big pharma has not worked. Only Trump hydroxyquine Protease Inhibitor, D3 and Zinc prevents the covid spike protein from dividing so the titer level or immune response remains high.
tribanon 2 years, 5 months ago
Darville obviously had a terrific vacation in Geneva at the expense of Bahamian taxpayers.
How much did the cruel Davis led corrupt PLP government pay for the useless 20,000 dangerous paediatric doses?
carltonr61 2 years, 5 months ago
Centaur weakened form of Omicron which represents the tail end of covid is present in some parts of the world. There, they recommend for those with comobidities aged over 80 to be careful. There is no forced vaccination on children on a global scale. Seems USA is very hesitant on this though approved. Why is The Bahamas silk talking parents rather than warning them of death dangers to their children as the Europeans are doing. Child vaccination is declared to dangerous than safety. No wonder we got the thrown away poison.
Sickened 2 years, 5 months ago
I wouldn't jook my dog with this "vaccine". I would even slightly hesitate jooking a garbage rat with it.
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