WORST YET TO COME

TYRELL GITTENS

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh brought bad tidings, on Christmas Day, when he declared that the worst was yet to come for this country in terms of the number of influenza cases and deaths caused by this acute form of the common-cold. Since the flu season began in September, 33 people have succumbed to the disease.

"I want to urge the population, that as far as influenza is concerned, the worst is to come," Deyalsingh said as he pleaded with citizens to get vaccinated against influenza. He spoke after visiting Christmas Day babies at the Port of Spain General Hospital.

On the 33 influenza deaths recorded, he said, "The worst is ahead of us and not behind us." Noting that in the initial months of the flu season there was a steady climb to 20 deaths, he said the toll has stalled at 33, in the last three weeks.

He warned however that the influx of tourists to TT, first for Christmas and then for Carnival, will most likely compound the situation. "With Christmas and Carnival, all the North Americans are coming down and they will bring their viruses with them and that is the crucial season for us now."

He lamented that people in groups vulnerable to the influenza virus, such as they young, the old and those with compromised immune systems are not availing themselves of the free vaccination available at most public health centres. "The majority of deaths (thus far) occurred in patients over 65 who were diabetic, overweight and/or hypertensive. And on top (of that) they were smokers and almost all unvaccinated," Deyalsingh said.

He said persons of East Indian descent appeared to be especially vulnerable as most influenza deaths this year, were persons of this ethnic origin and living mainly in central and south Trinidad. Other groups that should get vaccinated include pregnant women, children and persons with compromised immune systems.

As of December 20, according to the Health Ministry, the cumulative number of vaccines administered to the public for this flu season – 46,795; the number of suspected influenza cases for the year – 3,320; and the number of confirmed influenza deaths for this flu season – 33.

Deyalsingh blamed former People's Partnership Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh for the population's hesitance to get vaccinated. "I have the Hansard (record) of Tim Gopeesingh where he stood up in the parliament and asked me...'Minister are you aware there's a raging controversy over the use of vaccines in children and pregnant women?'

"What they (Gopeesingh) did in the parliament was scare people away from getting their vaccination. I got calls from Vancouver in Canada, London and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), asking me, 'What has TT done to itself?'"

"They are aghast and ashamed of TT, that a medical professional could stand up in the parliament, without any reliable source of data, and say there is a raging international controversy over the use of the flu vaccine."

Deyalsingh said the government is determined to get as much people vaccinated and to this end, has ordered 60,000 additional doses of the flu vaccine which should be available by January. He said the death toll, this flu season, is the worst in recent time adding that between 2016 and 2018, there were seven confirmed influenza deaths.

While this year has the highest number of deaths, he observed that in the last five years, this year had the lowest number of suspected cases, when the same period was observed.

"For epidemiological reasons we always look back at the last five years, we compare now with the last five years to see where we are." He said compounding this year's flu season was the fact that it began one month earlier and vaccines were not ready, at that point.

Alleging that data was not collected under the Kamla Persad-Bissessar led People's Partnership government, between 2012 and 2015, he said said it was hard to give a full scope of the situation prior to 2016.

"I don't want to politicize things but the facts will tell you, I have said this publicly and this is where Kamla Persad-Bissessar is now suing me, the then government collected no data on deaths. So for 2012, 2013 and 2014, this country had no data on (influenza) deaths."