50% decline in covid19 vaccinations in Tobago

There has been a 50 per cent decline in the number of people being vaccinated in Tobago.

Dr Roxanne Mitchell, general manager, primary care services, Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) made the observation at a health briefing on Thursday.

The Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development on Friday reported 14,784 people have received one dose of covid19 vaccine and 10,017 people have been jabbed twice. Last month Trinidad and Tobago  received 800,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines from China.

On July 22 the Prime Minister said Tobago requested 10,000 from that shipment and “because Tobago’s population is small, whatever is requested, they would get."

But Mitchell said fewer people are coming forward, despite the availability of the vaccines.

“Generally, we’re seeing a slowing not only in Tobago, but nationally.

“At one point, we were doing up to 600 doses per day. We have fallen significantly, in terms of delivering approximately 300-plus vaccines per day."

Mitchell said a large number of people prefer not to come to the health centres for their jabs.

"What we have noted is that Magdalena (Resort) did in fact pull some of the load from the health centres – because it was dedicated (to specific groups), it was a little more spacious and all of that down there, and people love the ambience at Magdalena.”

She said the response to the week-long drive-through site at Shaw Park Complex carpark in Scarborough, which opened on July 31, was overwhelming.

“What we’ve seen on Tuesday and Wednesday is that persons are preferring to go there because it's an easier flow, they’re in the comfort of their own vehicles, they don’t have to come out and go to the health centres and all that.”

She said the public has not uised the Mason Hall Health Centre – recently added as a vaccination site – as the authorities would have liked.

“Last week Friday we had six persons availing themselves of the vaccine. Prior to that, we had five.

"I haven't looked at the breakdown for yesterday.

"On Tuesday we had no one availing the system.

"It is going slowly. We are working on the community with regard to bringing people in."

Jabs at elderly homes going slowly

Mitchell also revealed approximately 42 per cent of residents in elderly homes in Tobago have been fully vaccinated.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh recently appealed for guardians of residents to sign the consent forms for the elderly to receive their jabs.

Mitchell said so far, 42 residents have received their two doses.

She added, "We should be delivering this week to another 12 persons the second doses.”

Mitchell later told Newsday there are around 100 residents at around nine elderly homes in Tobago – some unregistered.

She said there is still some hesitancy.

“We do have some resistance still at the few of the other homes regarding actually going in to deliver first doses. It is still sort of slow.

"But what we have found is that there are relatives who are now bringing their charges in – whether it is through the drive-through or even at the health centres where we go out and vaccinate, or even at Magdalena, where we go out and vaccinate persons. So there are persons who are being proactive to bring the elderly in.”

In terms of healthcare workers, she said to date 53 per cent from both the private and public sectors have been vaccinated.