PM: Parallel school systems needed if not enough vaccinations

Cousins Unique Destin, 13, right, and Anastasia Gibbs, 12, get their Pfizer covid19 vaccines, supervised by their grandmother Marva Pierre at Scarborough Secondary School on Monday. - Photo by David Reid
Cousins Unique Destin, 13, right, and Anastasia Gibbs, 12, get their Pfizer covid19 vaccines, supervised by their grandmother Marva Pierre at Scarborough Secondary School on Monday. - Photo by David Reid

The Prime Minister has said if the school-aged population is not vaccinated by the time in-person school reopens, there may have to be parallel systems of schooling.

Speaking on Brighter Morning with Bhoe on MCTV on Friday, Dr Rowley said he was waiting to see what the voluntary vaccination programme looked like before making any decisions.

“We will be guided by those who know best. If people are not doing what they are supposed to do, there is a role there for the government.

"We’re not saying we are prepared to have separate populations of vaccinated and unvaccinated students and teachers, but it depends on the levels of each. If there (is) a high level of vaccinated people, then the science will tolerate having a low level of unvaccinated people, but if there is a high level of unvaccinated people and a low level of vaccinated people, that risk is too high.”

Rowley said he understood that the students in Forms Four, Five, and Six were the majority of those between 12-18 being vaccinated. He said if the numbers are not high enough, as the reopening of the school system gets closer, government will have to go to schools and do further encouragement.

He said the government wants people to be vaccinated but understands it cannot convince people who don’t want to be convinced.

“The delta variant will cause problems when it lands in Trinidad."In fact five cases of the delta variant have been confirmed in the country to date.

"In the UK, they had a high level of vaccination, and that helped them when the variant arrived. The lockdown was an investment to have us in the position we are in now, but if we have low vaccination levels when the variant arrives, it will take us into another position.”

Rowley said there were many people who believed that the virus was not as serious as the government was saying, and this was fuelling vaccine hesitancy.

“There is a serious cacophony (sic) being played for political points. We have escaped the worst so far, and so people are thinking they can get by without respecting the virus. I hope it doesn’t take a worsening of the situation to get them to change their minds. There is a deadly virus, The response should be to strengthen yourself so when the virus comes you will be immunised and can protect yourself and also those around you.”

Asked about a mandate for vaccination for government workers, as has been done in other countries, the PM said while the government has a role and responsibility in those matters, it is encouraging people to get vaccinated without having to "hammer them into shape."

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