RHAs upbeat as J&J vaccine rolled out to rural areas

DAVLIN THOMAS, North Central Regional Health Authority CEO, and Eastern RHA CEO Ronald Tsoi-A-Fat were very upbeat about the uptake of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine, even as the Ministry of Health daily update on Friday reported 454 people had taken the single-dose regime (including 20 originally given to the Ministry of Sport).

In an update on Saturday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said 1,063 had, so far, received the J&J vaccine.

Deyalsingh had initially said 108,000 doses of the J&J vaccine, arriving in Trinidad on August 20 from the African Medical Supplies Platform, would go to remote/coastal communities. On Saturday he said, since the uptake was so small, the ministry planned to expand the vaccination drive from mobile units in rural, coastal and inland communities and make the J&J vaccine available to all 109 health centres across Trinidad and Tobago.

On Friday, both CEOs told Newsday about 100 people in each of their ERHAs had got the J&J vaccine up to that point.

Tsoi-A-Fat said, "In the ERHA we've gone on a J&J Caravan. We started in Matelot this week, came down and were in Cumana. We've covered the entire north coast, with a caravan bringing the vaccine to the community. Today we are down in Guayaguayare, Mayaro, Ortoire and Kernahan. Next week we visit housing developments in Rio Claro and Valencia."

He said the caravan offered the vaccine and had a complete health team of doctors and nurses.

"We are moving from place to place, village to village, we are gathering people and doing vaccines.

"The roll-out is not a problem. The uptake is still a little challenging. But we are rolling out. We are hitting the communities at the root."

He said for the north coast and Sangre Grande area, just over 100 people were vaccinated, but he awaited data from the ongoing vaccinations in Mayaro and Guayaguayare.

Tsoi-A-Fat saw no single reason for vaccine hesitancy.

"It's just people who don't feel they need to take the vaccine and have their little questions and that kind of thing. You know how it is.

"I would like to encourage them for many reasons. If we are neighbourly we need to protect not only ourselves, but also those around us. We need to get to herd immunity.

"We need to understand that some of the things that we hear need to be verified, rather than just take up things and run with them.

"Finally we need to understand that the minor side effects of any vaccine would be much better than the effects on a person who gets covid19. People who are unvaccinated are more seriously affected if they happen to contract covid."

Saying TT can only return to normalcy by herd immunity, Tsoi-A-Fat said, "We need to be part of the solution for the country."

Asked about conspiracy theories that the vaccine was a plot for world domination, he rejected such an idea as "far-fetched and a fallacy."

Thomas told Newsday the NCRHA had made a thrust into secluded seaside villages, where he had been pleasantly surprised.

"We found a lot of people had already been vaccinated with the Sinopharm or AstraZeneca vaccine. A lot of those whom we thought to be secluded had already taken it." He said the NCRHA was still engaging north coast communities where people might find it hard to travel out from.

He said on Sunday the NCRHA would visit Blanchisseuse and Brasso Seco and environs which have very small populations and would need few doses.

"We are making a deep dive into them." Thomas said the NCRHA was playing it by ear and keeping a flexible approach.

Asked about vaccine hesitancy, he said, "I found a small group of people required a more engaging discussion. Once you do that, they tend to understand. I personally went to Brasso Seco to get a sense of what people were saying. One person, it took him less than 15 minutes (of discussion) for him to go for it." He recalled local MPs such as Pennelope Beckles-Robinson-Robinson, Marvin Gonzales, Lisa Morris-Julian and Foster Cummings went with the NCRHA.

"The sense of influence, discussion and dialogue on the ground with people greatly influenced their willingness to take the vaccine."

Thomas said data showed that one person will die from covid19 for every "X" number of people infected, but the vaccine tends to prevent that from happening and protects you from becoming that person who will die.

He downplayed conspiracy theories on covid19 saying rumours exist about the water-supply but people still drink water.

Thomas was inspired by the NCRHA's doctors and nurses for their "faith, confidence and tenacity" in the fight against covid19.

"These people are unflinching. They embody the hopes and dreams of TT. Healthcare workers are like a flag of hope, despite what they have to deal with plus the risk to themselves.

"So, we can't help but be hopeful."