Tobago doctor urges people to take covid19 vaccine for life to return to normal

Dr Ogonna Okeke, specialist medical officer and head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Scarborough General Hospital, receives his first dose of the covid19 vaccine at Bacolet Health Centre, Bacolet, Tobago on Saturday. PHOTO BY DAVID REID -
Dr Ogonna Okeke, specialist medical officer and head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Scarborough General Hospital, receives his first dose of the covid19 vaccine at Bacolet Health Centre, Bacolet, Tobago on Saturday. PHOTO BY DAVID REID -

Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at Scarborough General Hospital, Dr Ogonna Okeke says citizens should take the AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine if only to ensure the Trinidad and Tobago economy is opened up and life is returned to normalcy.

Okeke was among six healthcare professionals who received the vaccine on camera at the Scarborough Health Centre, Bacolet, Tobago, on Saturday, as part of a wider initiative to prevent the spread of the virus on the island.

They were among 100 healthcare professionals on the island who have been targeted to receive 200 doses of the vaccine.

On Wednesday, some 100 health care professionals in Trinidad were administered 200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine as part of the 2,000 doses in the first phase of the roll-out.

The Barbados government donated the 2,000 doses to TT.

Okeke said citizens should be grateful they now have access to a vaccine to fight the pandemic.

“So, we should take advantage of this vaccine if we really want to open up our economy and get back to our way of life as before,” he told reporters.

Okeke said apart from giving people an opportunity to withstand the virus, the availability of the vaccine also offers hope.

“Last year, 2020, was the year of covid19. We all reacted to the worldwide pandemic. But this year, science has given us a chance to fight back. In this case we have the vaccine.

“There is a saying that united we stand, divided we fall and a small country like Tobago to get vaccines when most of the world has not seen vaccines yet.”

He said the TT and Barbados governments should be commended for “giving us a chance to fight back.”

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