The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Staff Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Michael Darville said COVID-19 cases have increased slightly over the past two months, but are not a cause for alarm.

Cases of the virus have been spiking across the globe this summer.

When the Ministry of Health and Wellness reported last month that cases have not increased in The Bahamas, some reacted incredulously, citing anecdotal reports of increasing cases.

“I can assure the Bahamian people that we at the Ministry of Health have no intention of trying to cover up or hide anything,” Dr Darville said yesterday. “If there is something brewing that we feel the population should know about, we will do it.”

“Our ministry and the Department of Public Health is monitoring the situation, and we believe that we are not in any danger zone at any particular time.”

Dr Darville also said officials want to acquire the first US-approved vaccine for pregnant women to prevent infants from contracting Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a highly contagious virus that causes respiratory infections in people of all age groups.

“We would like to ensure that we don’t lose one person as a result of not receiving the vaccine,” Dr Darville said.

The US Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer’s maternal vaccine, Abrysvo, to prevent lower respiratory tract disease in babies from birth through six months.

A single injection late in pregnancy allows time for the mom-to-be to develop virus-fighting antibodies that pass through the placenta to the fetus.

Dr Darville is excited about the vaccine because he believes it would benefit the paediatric population.

“Our ministry is looking to acquire the vaccine and make it available in the country to reduce the infant mortality rate and protect our pregnant mothers,” he said.