Government offers vaccines to more public servants

CEO of the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) Ronald Tsoi-a-Fatt said the vaccination programme at the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua continued to go well. The vaccination programme with donated vaccines from Bermuda and St Vincent and the Grenadines began on Monday.

On Saturday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said that the 24,000 vaccines would be distributed to staff of the Ministries of National Security, Works and Transport, Education, Energy, Local Government, Finance, AGLA, Social Development and Family Services (including street dwellers), Public Utilities and healthcare workers.

Staff from the Public Utilities ministry were vaccinated on Tuesday.

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said staff from the Education Ministry would be vaccinated beginning on Thursday. Speaking on Twitter on Monday, she said more than half of the allocated 4,000 doses would go to teachers.

“In addition, principals of secondary and primary schools, and the vice-principals of the secondary schools, and the senior teachers who function as vice-principals generally for the primary schools. In addition, the ones who are invigilators for CXC, which are made up of some of the curriculum officers, the testers for the SEA, those teachers who are handing out the papers and so on, the assistant supervisors and the supervisors, so those are the priority that we have put forward for the 4,000 vaccines, those who have confirmed they are working. We are still calling around to find out who will be taking up the offer.”

TTUTA President Antonia DeFreitas said while the union had not been informed about the date of the distribution, she hoped the vaccines would be offered to staff associated with the SEA exams.

“When we think of staff at the Ministry of Education, we think of school supervisors, curriculum officers, etc., who would be going out to assist with the administration of the SEA in the first instance. We have also been asking for our primary school principals and teachers to have access to the vaccine if they so desire, in an effort to have the SEA go forward, if at all possible, when it is safe to do so at a later time.”

Police Social and Welfare Association President Gideon Dickson said the members had been approached to take up the vaccine.

“We’ve been approached by the Health Ministry and we were told that we would receive notification by Thursday. We put out the word about the vaccinations and I can’t say how many would be taking up the offer but the response has been good.”

Chief Fire Officer Marlon Smith said some of the fire officers had been vaccinated during the initial vaccination period. He said the response has been good as some people who were initially hesitant were now eager to take up the offer.

Ag Prisons Commissioner Shamshudeen Mohammed said more officers were now interested in being vaccinated than during the initial period.

“We have put all infrastructure and the processes in place and we’re waiting on distribution. We haven’t been told which day exactly but we know it will be soon.”

Attempts to get the schedule of vaccinations and the numbers of people vaccinated from the Health Ministry were not successful up to press time.