Deyalsingh: It's easier now to get vaccine

FLASHBACK: Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh seen in this file photo getting his covid19 vaccince on April 6, says it is now much easier to access the vaccine than when the rollout first began. -
FLASHBACK: Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh seen in this file photo getting his covid19 vaccince on April 6, says it is now much easier to access the vaccine than when the rollout first began. -

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said initial problems in registering for the covid19 vaccine have now eased up, speaking in an interview on Friday with Louis Lee Sing, head of TV station WESN.

He said registration problems lasted for only the first few days, but have been remedied thereafter, largely through allowing registration via the widely used WhatsApp platform.

Asked by Lee Sing how well Government had done against covid19, Deyalsingh said under the Prime Minister's leadership Trinidad and Tobago has done better than countries with more resources.

Lee Sing asked about the Ministry of Health's policy towards migrants, saying a Venezuelan migrant had been found to have a Brazilian strain of the virus.

Deyalsingh said migrants have access to public healthcare by way of testing and vaccination to treat any communicable diseases such as covid19, dengue fever or HIV.

"All migrants, regardless of country of origin, don't exist within a bubble in TT. They interact with people. So it is good public health policy that these persons be afforded the opportunity to access that type of care."

Lee Sing asked if Government would begin area-specific lockdowns, in place of a national lockdown against covid19, given reports of an outbreak in Mayaro.

Deyalsingh said there was no national lockdown, but the focus is on places of worship and entertainment and the like.

"This issue of localised lockdowns is one that was raised about a year ago, and both the CMO (Dr Roshan Parasram) and (epidemiologist Dr Avery) Hinds said that because of the small size of the country and because of high mobility...How do you lock down Arima?

"Do you tell people in Arima they can't leave and go to Port of Spain? It's just not feasible in a country like this." He said local lockdowns might be more feasible in bigger countries with a federal system of government like the US and Australia.

Asked about possible blood-clot links to the AstraZeneca vaccine, Deyalsingh said his ministry has got a haematologist to develop local protocols to deal with clots if they develop as a result of the vaccine, but is in the meantime using protocols from the World Health Organization (WHO).

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