Of covid19 and orphanhood

THE EDITOR: How can TT parents who are against vaccinating, explain to their children why they have wilfully exposed themselves to death by covid19? Parents dead? Grandparents dead? No uncles or aunts? Nobody to mind them?

The First World child care experts are describing situations where millions of children will be suffering "orphanhood." The condition already exists in places like India, Africa, Brazil and other parts of the Third World where vaccines are generally hard to obtain.

There are already many orphans in countries post Ebola, post HIV and covid19 deaths. But in TT we fortunately have the choice to vaccinate for covid19.

It is one thing for a TT adult to decide not to vaccinate. But what are the attending consequences? I just saw a story of a restauranteur in Tobago bemoaning the fact that 90 per cent of his staff are refusing vaccines.

If covid19 runs amok in Tobago what is the worse case scenario? Do we prevent inter island travel? Tourism will most certainly die. Which airline or cruise ship will consider taking visitors to Tobago?

Perhaps the talk of full autonomy should continue on hold until sufficient Tobagonians understand that playing Russian roulette with their health is unacceptable. Will Tobago be hoping for financing from Trinidad to be used for coffins and building orphanages instead of employing the money for meaningful self rule?

After the THA elections in January, there was a 6/6 stalemate. There are now six assemblymen who are PNM who support vaccination. The other six are Progressive Democratic Patriots whose leader appears to be against vaccinating. Can we extrapolate what percentage of Tobagonians could possibly become infected by covid19?

And indeed, should the word "mandatory" become part of our TT vocabulary? Importantly, should I be asking any other pertinent questions?

LYNETTE JOSEPH

Diego Martin